


The Devil's Muses

by HB48



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe, Demon/Human Relationships, Demonic Possession, F/F, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:11:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 68,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HB48/pseuds/HB48
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eli Ayase, the next generation of a long line of spirit mediums, has an unusual lack of spiritual abilities. In order to inherit her family name, Eli leaves her home and family to help the small sea-side town of Otonokizaka. There she is tasked with taking care of the girls living in the old mansion on the hill. Little does she know that what's waiting for her is a challenge that will test everything she's learned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Beginnings

Sunlight fell through the church windows, illuminating the lines of priests standing along the aisle way. Each held a rosary in hand, heads bowed low in reverence. The silence was broken as the doors creak open and the thud of boots on wood reverberated. Light shone on the figure as she walked towards the church’s apse. There stood the head pastor, his robes long enough to pool on the floor as if he was melted onto that spot. 

“Eli Ayase,” his voice boomed. Eli kneeled down, hands in prayer on her lap. A pose of subservience and mercy. She knew what was likely to happen. But perhaps she could ask for God’s grace one last time.

“Yes, Father,” Eli said, “Today I come to ask for judgement.”

“As you know, today marks the end of your training. However, your spiritual abilities are far too lacking. Although you are the next of kin in the Ayase family, there is no reason to pass on the title of High Priestess to you,” the pastor said, “Your sister far surpasses you in skill and by all means, you are inadequate for your station.” 

Eli bit the inside of her cheek. She knew what she was going to hear, but that didn’t make the sting any less painful. Ever since she was a child she had been working her hardest to make up for her lack of natural abilities. But despite everything, she could still just barely communicate with spirits. There were children who could do better.

“However,” the pastor continued, “Your family and I have agreed your efforts should not be ignored. Therefore, we have created one final test.”

“I would do anything,” Eli said without a second of hesitation. She knew an opportunity when she heard it and it would have been foolish to refuse. This was the chance from God she was looking for.

The pastor nodded. “You must travel to the Eastern country south of our land. There, you will find a seaside town called Otonokizaka. The mayor of Otonokizaka will further explain your duties to you. It is not a test of spiritual abilities, but of your endurance and perseverance. If you succeed, then you may return. If you do not…”

“I cannot return to the Ayase family,” Eli stood up, “I understand.” 

“You have grown so quickly, Miss Eli,” the pastor smiled, “You have a month to prepare for your journey. They speak the Eastern language there, so I hope you brush up on your textbooks. Good luck, my dear.”

“Thank you, sir.”

-:-  
The light of the lantern barely illuminated the cramped desk that Eli hunched over. As any respectable Ayase hier, she had learned the different languages of the region as a child - but a lack of practice made the words sound too unnatural. Three weeks of intensive study has helped, but Eli was afraid she still wasn’t quite up to par. With a week left until her departure, Eli felt the pressure beginning to rapidly grow. 

She had also been reading as much as she could about the region. But besides a few scant reports about fishing costs and a lack of logging, Otonokizaka seemed to barely exist. Eli looked at a newspaper with the only picture of the town she could find. It was barely bigger than her own village up in the snow covered mountains. Taken atop the town’s clock tower, Otonokizaka boasted a town square, a port, and scattered patches of homes. Eli tried to imagine walking through the streets, but came up blank.  
Setting down the paper, Eli stood to get a new cup of tea. There was still more work to do.  
-:-  
The sting of the cold ocean breeze felt familiar to Eli’s face. Wrapped up in her coat, she stood at the front of the ship. It was hard to see because of the clouds, but the captain had told her that morning they would land by the afternoon. Before, it was hard to imagine riding in a boat for two weeks. But now that it was her reality, Eli could hardly imagine walking on dry land again. More than that it was merely hours until her real work would start. With sigh, Eli looked up at the gloomy sky and wondered if it was snowing back in the North. Even though it was midday the sun was barely visible. 

Eli conversed with the captain about nautical techniques and sea maps until one of the crew members alerted her that they were about to dock and her luggage was waiting. The port was crowded with fishing vessels and Eli recognized some of the buildings from the photograph. Making sure she had everything, Eli gave a final nod of respect to the crew as she stepped off the boat. 

Waiting on the dock was a woman dressed like the mayor of a small town. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and on the lapel of her blazer was a pin of the town’s emblem. She seemed fairly young and her eyes were a soft amber. Eli bowed, “Hello, Miss Minami, I am Eli Ayase. I understand that you have called for my family’s services.”

“Indeed I have,” Miss Minami smiled, “But please, let’s not stand out here in the cold. How about we head to my office?” 

Eli nodded, following the mayor as they walked through the town. Either there was even less people than she thought or people were hiding on purpose as Eli barely saw anyone as she traversed nearly halfway through the town. Most of the scenery was the same as the picture, but there was one odd building out. Hidden behind some trees, opposite of the sea and just at the edge of the mountain, was a large mansion. Its roof was just barely visible and Eli was about to ask about it when the doors to the town hall were opened. The mayor’s office was on the second story of the old building, a large window behind the oak desk. Miss Minami stood looking out at the town, tracing her hand along the frame.

“Miss Ayase, do you know why you’re here?” Eli shook her head and Miss Minami sat down in her chair, “Otonokizaka is blessed with its plentiful natural resources. The hills provide fertile soil for our plants as well as plentiful roots for medicines. The mountains are filled with minerals that the men mine and the ocean is stirring with fish that can be caught. It seems picture perfect, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed,” Eli said, attempting to stay cordial, “One would be lucky to live a long life here.”

“That’s what you would think. However, our town has always been plagued by demons,” Miss Minami said, “Every few generations people would be possessed. Those overtaken would be taken into the forest to die or isolated until they perished. But now - there are a group of girls who are all possessed. Due to their unstable conditions, we’ve been forced to isolate them.

I’m sure you saw the mansion at the edge of the mountain. That’s where they’re being held at the moment. It’s too dangerous to let them near the other townsfolk. They have supplies delivered to them regularly but… It’s hard for them. And for the families they left behind.”

Miss Minami closed the curtains, hands dropping to her sides. She took a deep breath before turning around, eyes desperate. Eli knew she couldn’t offer any words of comfort; it wasn’t what she had been trained for. She was to hold herself above others - they were clients, nothing more and nothing less. To them she was meant as a symbol of hope. There was no room for emotions and no room for wavering.  
But Eli felt her throat tighten and her voice shook as she spoke.

“I swear,” Eli got down on one knee, “I promise to help those girls. Whether it takes a year, or ten years, or a life - I will bring them home.”  
Miss Minami smiled sadly, relief washing over her face. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she brought her hands together above her chest, “Please. Bring my daughter home.” 

-:-  
Eli stared out the window of her room in the inn that Miss Minami had arranged for her to spend the night in. The wooden floor felt uncomfortable underneath bare feet and Eli hoped it wouldn’t take too long for to adjust to not wearing shoes indoors. There was little to unpack and Eli occupied her time before dinner mulling over the things she had learned.

It wasn’t uncommon for demonic possession to be centralized in one area, but multiple at a time was certainly odd. Demons moved solitarily to achieve their own sinful desires and it was the job of people like Eli to make sure they were sent back to Hell where they came from. Tapping her pen on her chin, Eli hadn’t noticed she had been doodling the entire time her mind was wandering. The open pages of her notebook were covered in half-finished sketches of Otonokizaka. In one corner was the sign for a bakery while tucked in close to the bind was half of the window frame. All of her sketches were surrounding by cross hatching as the sun had long since dipped behind the mountain. 

From this spot Eli could just barely see the mansion, looming on the corners of Otonokizaka like a spirit. The mountain’s shadow shrouded it in more darkness than the lit buildings in the rest of the town. Eli turned to a new page and tries to sketch what she could - a window barely visible, the bricked roof, and a chimney with a thin trail of smoke. While it wasn’t far by any means, looking at it from here made it seem strangely isolated. It was hard to imagine anyone living there. 

Eli sighed, closing her notebook and tossing it onto the bed. Pushing her thoughts to the side, she decided to go eat and turn in early for the night. Who knew what would be in store for her tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8/29/17 EDIT: this fic is 2 yrs old holy shit - so im gonna be slowly rewriting the old chs bc i cannot stand how these read tbh lol i'm gonna be keeping all the old authors notes tho but just know that this isnt like the original-original text anymore
> 
> creative chapter title i know  
> well this is the start of a fic for my sister's amazing love live au! hopefully i'll be able to update it often but pls don't expect them regularly esp since i don't know if it'll still be going on when i start school in september but hopefully i'll update at least once a week. thanks for reading and look forward to the next ch! ovo/


	2. Welcome to Hell

There was something eerie in the air, 

Maybe it was because Eli was standing in front of a huge, looming mansion in the hills closed off on all sides by an ivy covered fence. But really, that probably wasn't the reason.

The blond looked down at the key in her hand, steeling her nerves before using it to unlock the large latch on the front gate. Tearing apart the ivy, Eli pushed open the gate, carefully closing it again once she was inside. 

Walking up to the mansion, Eli noticed that the front yard was fairly neatly kept. The girls must have been gardening despite their possession. Turning back towards the gate, Eli could barely see the town through the fence’s densely packed ivy. The blonde reached the door and gently knocked twice.

There were faint sounds behind the door, muffled voices mixed with the scraping of furniture against hard wood. It made Eli's fingers curl just as there was a soft click, signaling the door's release. The blonde waited patiently as the door creaked open, moving slowly and unwillingly.

Standing in the doorway was a girl who was about the same age as Eli, her hair tied into low twintails. The girl was in a simple off-shoulder sweater which offered a view of her... Generous assets. Eli tried not to stare, opting instead to peer inside of the vast mansion.

"I'm Eli Ayase. I've been asked by the mayor to help care for you and the others." The blonde tried to keep her voice professional, hands folded neatly behind her back.

The girl blinked once, turquoise eyes shining in the sunlight before she smiled, "So you're the famous Ayase huh? I've heard a lot about your family, I'm a bit of a spiritual junkie myself."

"Really?" Eli couldn't help but smile, her family's reputation always made her proud.

"Yup~" the girl tucked a strand of hair away from her face, "I'm Nozomi Toujou, the oldest one here. Is it alright if I call you Elicchi? I love giving people nicknames you see."

Though she normally would have objected, Eli was charmed by the friendly girl, "Sure, you can call me what you want Nozomi-san."

“Alright, feel free to just call me Nozomi. We don’t do much for formalities here,” she closed the door as Eli entered, “We’re almost like family. But it’s a bit hard to be a ‘single mom.’” Nozomi chuckled, walking ahead of the blonde, “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the others.”

Nodding, Eli followed, taking in her new home. The mansion was well furnished and cleaned, however it looked as if some of the furniture and walls had claw marks on them as well as some… bite marks? Before she could attempt to make sense of the unusual observation, Eli was escorted into a foyer with several windows that provided a view of the forest behind the mansion. There were bookshelves lined up on the wall as well as a fireplace. The room had scattered furniture including a coffee table and several large couches. Inside, there were seven other girls all sitting and talking.

Knowing that they were all possessed by demons, Eli cautiously took off her glove which exposed her silver rings. She followed Nozomi as the other girl gathered the others’ attention.

“This is Eli Ayase, the person the mayor called to help us. Her family’s famous for dealing with spiritual entities so I’m sure we’re in good hands,” Nozomi smiled at the blonde, causing a small blush to form on the later’s face, “Elicchi, how old are you?”

“I recently turned nineteen, which signaled the completion of my training.” Eli stated, holding her head high in pride.

“Hear that? Elicchi’s as old as me and Nicocchi so treat her nice ok?” Nozomi asked, earning nods from the others in the room.

“I’m Honoka Kousaka!” One of the girls jumped up out of her seat, “These are my best friends, Umi Sonoda and Kotori Minami!” The two girls mentioned both nodded and said hello.

Noticing that Kotori looked remarkably like the mayor, Eli concluded that this was the mayor’s daughter and decided to pay particular attention to her.

The others were introduced shortly and Eli found out that three of them (Rin, Hanayo, and Maki) were all barely sixteen. Another interesting bit was that the “Nicocchi” that Nozomi had mentioned was a short girl who looked much younger. If she hadn’t been told their ages, she would have assumed that Maki was one of the eldest and that Nico was the youngest.

As the group continued to talk amongst themselves, Nozomi took Eli to the third floor where her room was. It was well furnished with a large bed and private bathroom.

“My room is a little down the hall if you need anything,” Nozomi smiled, “And Nicocchi’s is all the way down the hall. Do you have any questions?”

Eli set her backpack down on the bed, stretching slightly, “A few, but those can wait. Thank you for taking the time to show me around Nozomi.” The blonde smiled, putting her glove back on the cover her rings before reaching out and taking one of the other girl’s hand, kissing the back of it gently.

“Oh? You’re quite the well mannered girl,” Nozomi giggled, blushing slightly, “It’s rare to see that here in a little town.” 

Slightly embarrassed, Eli smiled shyly and looked at the ground. Just as she was about to speak, loud thuds could be heard by the stairs, as if something was bounding up the steps. 

Quickly, Eli ran out of her room, rushing towards the stairs just as she saw something, or rather someone, staring at her from the steps. It was one of the girls earlier, her orange hair cut short and chartreuse eyes shining in the sunlight. While she had seemed slightly childish and friendly before, there was a striking change now.

The girl’s eyes were golden with a slit pupil, making her look more like a wild cat. The flannel she was wearing was obviously shed somewhere on her way up, leaving the girl in a tight fitting tank top and sweatpants. She was sitting on the steps, hands in front of her, staring at Eli.

Thinking for a second, Eli realized that this girl was Rin, the youngest of the girls. Slowly taking off her glove, Eli was ready to go on the defensive, she knew that right now, Rin was being possessed by the demon within her. Moving her fingers against each other, the clanking of silver on silver elicited a growl from Rin. 

“Rin-chan, what are you doing up here?” Eli heard Nozomi’s voice from behind her and before she could move, the other girl had already began descending the stairs towards the younger girl. Nozomi pet Rin’s head gently, trailing her hand down until her thumb could stroke the younger girl’s cheek, “Were you curious about the new girl?”

Rin mewed, letting out a low purr at Nozomi’s touch before going back to staring at Eli with those chartreuse eyes. The blonde gulped as she saw that Rin’s fingernails and her teeth had grown longer and sharper. Approaching them slowly, Eli put her glove back on to hide her rings before reaching out a hand towards the younger girl, like someone would do to a skittish animal.

With a hiss Rin bared her now sharp teeth, swatting at Eli causing a few small cuts on the later’s arm. The blonde narrowed her eyes as Rin continued to hiss, moving Nozomi out of the way so she had a better view of this intruder. Rin was on all fours and quickly pounced on Eli, causing the blonde to fall with a resounding THUD onto the third floor. 

Eli was pinned down and although Rin was smaller than her, the younger girl possessed an amazing amount of strength no doubt given to her by the demon. Unable to take off her glove or reach for any of her vials of holy water, Eli was left with a cat-demon on top of her and hearing Nozomi’s futile attempts to get Rin off. 

Carefully tucking her legs underneath the younger girl, Eli managed to kick Rin off towards the other side of the hallway. As soon as she was up, Rin was charging at her ready to pounce, but this time Eli was ready. The blonde caught the younger girl mid-jump and tackled her to the ground, reversing their positions from before. Rin hissed and attempted to escape but Eli endured, biting her lip as the younger girl clawed at her exposed arms. 

They stayed like that for a minute until Rin closed her eyes, body twitching as her fangs retracted and her nails grew short again. When she looked back at Eli, the younger girl’s eyes had returned to normal, full of innocence and some confusion as to why the blonde was pinning her down. 

Eli sighed, getting off of Rin just as the others ran up the stairs. The blonde helped the younger girl off the ground, just realizing how difficult this was going to be.

“Rin-chan! Are you alright?” Honoka asked, panting slightly as she reached the top of the stairs, “You sneaked away so no one noticed you were gone till we heard all the thumping!”

“Did… Did I do something, nya?” Rin tilted her head slightly, completely unaware of what had just happened. Looking at Eli, it took her a minute to see the red slashes on the other girl’s arms.

It was then that she realized what had happened. Backing away a few steps Rin stared at the ground, hands behind her back as if to protect Eli from the claws that were no longer there. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to, it just, it happens sometimes and—”

Eli walked forward, closing the distance between them, gently putting a hand on younger girl’s shoulder. “It’s alright, I’m okay.” Rin looked as if she was about to burst out crying and nodded, running to Nozomi and hugging her tightly.

Nozomi pat Rin’s head, whispering comforting words as Eli still had her hand in the air where the younger girl’s shoulder had been. Quickly bringing her hand back, the blonde awkwardly looked between the girls on the stairs and Nozomi trying to comfort the now crying girl. Rin wiped her eyes, receiving a quick kiss on the forehead from Nozomi before going back downstairs with the others.

Now only Eli and Nozomi were left on the third floor. Nozomi walked over to the blonde, holding her hands gently as she spoke, “Don’t these scratches hurt? We should patch them up quickly.”

Before Eli could protest, she was following Nozomi to the bathroom where a First-Aid Kit was hidden underneath the sink. Sitting on the toilet, the two sat in silence as Eli’s scratches were disinfected and covered in bandages. To be honest, this was barely any pain at all. Eli had sustained much worse injuries during her training and a few scratches meant almost nothing at all. But the way Rin had looked so regretful of her actions and how Nozomi’s soft hands traced over her skin made the blonde’s stomach turn.

“There, all done.” Nozomi stood up from where she was crouching, fixing her sweater before offering a hand to help Eli up, “So, how was it?”

The blonde blinked, “How was what?”

“How was meeting one of our demons for the first time?” Nozomi’s eyes became downcast as the two made their way back to Eli’s room, “Sometimes they just possess us. No warning, no signs, nothing. And when we come back, we can barely remember anything at all. They act on their own, without any regard to us or the people around us,” she looked out the window at the town, “That’s why we were put away.”

Eli felt that same uneasiness in her gut. Suddenly everything seemed much, much harder than it had only a few hours ago. A part of her wanted desperately to leave right now and run away while another wanted to help these girls. Taking in a deep breath, Eli walked next to Nozomi and put a hand on the other’s shoulder.

“It’s my job to make sure you can go back. I know this wasn’t Rin’s fault and that it’s probably just the beginning but even so, I keep myself resolute.” Eli took one of Nozomi’s hands in her own, kissing the back of it gently, “I will defeat whatever demon it takes to free you of these beings.”

Nozomi’s eyes sparkled, her face lighting up with a smile that seemed to start from the corners of her mouth and work its way up to her eyes. With a light blush on her cheeks she laughed, “You sound serious but your hand is shaking Elicchi.”

The blonde quickly pulled her hand back, nervously tucking some hair behind her ear. Nozomi laughed again, causing Eli to smile as well. 

“I need to go help Nicocchi start dinner. Is there anything special you want?” The other girl was standing in the doorway, one hand on the frame and the other on her hip.

Eli mused for a moment before shrugging, “Anything is fine with me.”

Another smile shone on Nozomi’s face, “I’m glad you’re the one here with us Elicchi. I know you’ll be able to help us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eli shows up to her new home and meets a demon for the first time!!! woah!!!! also nozoeli bc this is a mainly nozoeli fic but dont worry there will be other ships B)  
> pls go visit my tumblr where i will be putting up their designs as well as some other art of them as the fic goes on @ hb48.tumblr.com  
> and visit my sister's tumblr bc w/out her this au wouldn't be possible ;o godbear999.tumblr.com


	3. Narcissists, Gluttons, and Arson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *updates fic @ night when no one is on*

The day after Rin’s demon’s appearance was overcast. The sun was covered by grey clouds, obscuring any light trying to sneak through. Inside the mansion, the girls mulled about their day, several of them disappointed that they couldn’t garden in this weather. At around noon as Eli joined Nozomi and Nico to make lunch, the first few drops of rain fell onto the roof. 

Leaving the kitchen after being told to find the others and round them up for lunch, Eli walked down the halls. Her jacket was upstairs in her room, leaving her tranquilizer gun and pistol in plain view. Eli made her way to the foyer and found most of the girls there. She announced it was time for lunch and they all began heading towards the dining room. When Rin passed by, the younger girl nervously looked at the floor. Eli smiled and pat her back, making Rin perk up slightly and smile back. 

Eli had found most of the girls in the foyer but she noticed that the tall young girl was missing. She looked around the rooms and without finding anyone, the blonde decided to check upstairs when someone tapped her shoulder. 

There stood that red haired girl (Maki, that was her name) in the same black sweater with a heart she wore yesterday. Except now, there were two red pins in her hair and her eyes had changed. They were still violet but now, the scleras were bordered with black. Although the younger girl had seemed haughty but almost shy yesterday, the girl in front of Eli now was smiling and holding her head up high like a queen.

“Hello Ayase.” Maki flipped her hair, one hand on her hip, “What are you doing here all alone? Shouldn’t you be with the children’s mother?”

Eli had a bad feeling about this. A very, very bad feeling. Something in Maki’s tone just sounded so… full of herself. Like Eli should be glad that the redhead was taking time out of her day to talk to her. Turning away silently, Eli opted to ignore the younger girl and find Nozomi instead. It was always better to just ignore these types of people. She walked down the hall, trying to remember how to get to the dining hall from there. 

“Hey now, where are you going to in such a hurry?” Maki had moved in front of her, blocking Eli’s way, “You know, for being from a northern country, you aren’t that much taller than me.” That same self confident smirk appeared.

Pushing down her growing irritation, the blonde bit her lip and walked around the younger girl, finally remembering how to get to the dining hall. She needed to find Nozomi quickly so she could get away from Maki. As she turned the corner, Eli felt a hand grab her shirt from behind which both untucked it and sent the blonde falling backwards. Angry, Eli looked up to see the redhead grinning above her.

“Looks like you finally slowed down,” Maki smirked that gross looking smirk, “Now why don’t we get on going to the others?”

Just as Eli was about the snap at the younger girl, there was the sound of soft footsteps ahead of them. “What’s taking you so- Geh! It’s you!” 

Nico was standing in the hall, a new bandaid over her nose and a patch of gauze on the side of her neck. From what Eli remembers hearing last night, Nico’s demon doesn’t possess her often but does show itself by momentarily taking over parts of her body. This results in Nico constantly being covered in injuries but that doesn’t stop the shorter girl from puffing out her chest and acting like a big shot.

“Oh, if it isn’t Nico,” Maki grinned, ignoring Eli and walking over to Nico, “Listen, listen; Ayase over there wasn’t paying attention to me! Isn’t that the meanest thing you’ve ever heard? Isn’t it Nico?” The redhead batted her lashes which caused the shorter girl to roll her eyes.

“You come with me,” Nico grabbed Maki’s arm and dragged her away, “Eli, you go ahead to the dining room. Nozomi needs your help with something in there.”

Nodding, the blonde got up as she heard Maki whine. While she was headed towards the dining hall, Eli could hear a loud SLAP! echoing through the halls. Wincing slightly at the sound, Eli looked behind her. Nico and Maki came back in her direction, the younger girl now sporting a large handprint on her cheek. The redhead was apologizing profusely to Nico who kept saying that it was fine. 

Walking ahead quickly, Eli entered the dining room where she was greeted with another sight all together. Sitting at the table was Hanayo, except her eyes were changed too. Her scleras had lines in them going out from the pupil. Eli sighed as she approached Nozomi.

“Elicchi, you’re finally here!” Nozomi smiled when she saw the blonde, “What took you so long?’

“I met Maki’s demon,” Eli stated matter of factly, “And it looks like I’m meeting another one right now.” 

Nozomi nodded sadly, putting a hand to her cheek, “This is Hanayo’s demon. It’s calm now because it’s eating but as soon as we run out of food it’ll get bad…” 

Eli’s mind wandered to the bite marks she had seen on some of the furniture when she walked into the house yesterday. Shaking the thought out of her head, she crossed her arms. “What usually gets Hanayo to snap out of it?”

“Well, usually when the demon gets tired, but there’s no telling when that could be.” Nozomi sighed.

Thinking, Eli went over some of the less violent ways to quell demons. Finally settling on an idea, the blonde sat down next to Hanayo. The girl had a stack of empty plates next to her and Rin was bringing her yet another one filled with pancakes. Silently, the blonde reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. Eli put the paper on Hanayo’s arm as Rin stood next to her, slightly confused. 

For a few seconds, Hanayo kept eating. Then, she dropped her fork, shivering as she shut her eyes and clenched her fist. It lasted for almost half a minute before she opened her eyes again, back to normal. Hanayo blinked before turning towards Eli as the blonde tore the paper off and crumpled it up.

“Kayochin, are you okay?” Rin put down the plate of pancakes and ran behind Hanayo, putting her hands on the later’s shoulders. 

"I... Uh, yeah. I have a little headache but I'm okay," Hanayo touched where the paper had been and looked at Eli, "Thank you Miss Ayase."

Whispering a prayer, Eli smiled at the younger girl, "Just Eli is fine, and it's my job. What I just used was a seal typically used to ward away demons. Using it on you likely only suppressed it but it should be quiet for a few hours at least."

The brunette's face lit up as she hid her grin behind her hands. It took Eli by surprise just how happy she was. Hanayo almost jumped out of her seat, hugging the blonde tightly. She whispered a soft thank you before hugging Rin as well, holding the other girl’s hands. While Rin seemed as confused as Eli, she hugged back and lifted Hanayo off the ground with that same unexpected strength Eli witnessed yesterday. 

Straightening herself up, the blonde took the plate of pancakes Rin had set on the table and smiled at Nozomi, “Shall we have breakfast now?” 

Nozomi grinned, sitting next to Eli and nodding. Nico and Maki entered the dining room soon after with Nico sporting a brand new scratch on her arm. Opting not to stick her nose into things, Eli continued to eat her pancakes as the girls chatted around the table. Just like the night before Honoka, Kotori, and Umi were tasked with washing the dishes. Hanayo, Rin, and Maki on the other hand went off to check whether there were any leaks. The rain was starting to pound on the mansion’s windows and roof, filling the air with its noise. 

Eli wandered the house. As the resident demon keeper, as the mayor referred to the position, her job was to make sure the demons did as little damage to their hosts as possible and to find a way to shut them down hopefully permanently. But from both yesterday and today, Eli understands that these demonic possessions are unpredictable and sudden. There is no way of telling when they will begin or when they will end. Thinking to herself, Eli made her way upstairs and into her room, sitting on the bed and taking out her notebook, The blonde sat for at least an hour recording her observations and speculations before she heard the crackle of a fire from downstairs.

If memory served her right, the family room had a fireplace. But with such a storm going, it must have been difficult finding any reliable kindling or even lighting the fire properly. Putting her notebook away in her bedside drawer, Eli made her way downstairs only stopping to ask Rin where exactly the family room was. The younger girl was noticeably more friendly around Eli and the blonde was slightly embarrassed at the familiarity. 

Making her way into the open family room, the area was shining even brighter than the rest of the mansion. Whoever started up the fireplace managed to make a large fire more fit for a snow day than a rainstorm in the fall. In front of said fireplace was Honoka. Her back was towards Eli and she was crouching in front of the fire, the flames stretching her shadow out towards the hall. On the couch next to her sat Kotori, almost motionless. The light shone off her skin, making her look almost like a statue. Missing was Umi but Eli had to deal with these two first.

After all, Kotori was missing her pupils, leaving her eyes entirely blank. Eli approached Honoka, clearing her throat, “Honoka, what are you doing here? How did you get the fire to star?”

The other girl stood up, stretching slightly before spinning on her heel to face the blonde. Honoka’s sclera were completely black, making her blue eyes seem as if they were glowing. She spread her arms out, looking like an over exaggerated super villain as the flames illuminated her from behind. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t the famous Ayase,” Honoka smirked, “The human spent a long time reading about you. Or at least, her idiot friends read while she just sat and talked. Really, I was somehow stuck with the dumbest of the three can you believe it?” 

Eli swallowed the anxiety bubbling up in her throat and spoke as clearly as she could, “Was it you who started that fire?”

Honoka rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers. On her index finger stood a single flame and then the other four lit up in the same way. The fire spread from her fingers over skin, until Honoka’s entire hand was engulfed. Smirking, the other girl pointed a blazing finger at the blonde, “What do you think?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're introduced to even more demons! we have maki, hanayo, honoka, and kotori being possessed with some mention of nico's demon dont worry, next ch will have umi's demon in it lets all hope that eli will make it through this encouner
> 
> as always check out my tumblr hb48.tumbr.com and my sister's godbear999.tumblr.com


	4. From the Fire to the Ocean

Rain hit the windows with more force than ever, making it as dark as night outside. However, in this room, with all the lights on and the fire burning; here alone it was midday. 

Eli’s eyes narrowed, now she knew for sure that the demons were also able to change their host’s physical abilities. From Rin’s enhanced strength and claws, to Honoka waving her burning hand, these demons were far more powerful than the usual hexing. Taking a deep breath, Eli made a mental note to catalogue this in her journal later.

“So you’re able to control fire.”

Honoka grinned as the flames on her hand disappeared, “And she finally gets it! How about we give her a big round of applause?” She began clapping alone, Kotori still frozen on the couch beside the fireplace. Eli shot a curious glance at her, one which Honoka must have caught.

“Oh, you must be wondering about the plant. That demon never does anything, it just makes its host sit there. How boring,” Honoka rolled her eyes, looking back at the blonde, “It can’t even make a decent lacky.” 

“So you’re looking for someone to be the boss of?” Eli cautiously asked, taking a step closer to Honoka.

“Hey, if no one’s gonna be the leader, it only makes sense for the most qualified demon to take that position. And that demon is obviously, me.” 

Somehow the blonde felt like that statement was way too much of a stretch. Looking around once more, Eli still could not see a sign of Umi despite the fact that Nozomi told her those three were basically inseparable. 

“So, where’s Umi? Isn’t she always around your host?”

Honoka’s smile dropped, looking around quickly it seemed like she hadn’t even noticed the other girl wasn’t in the room. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Damn, that useless thing must have run off again… Fuck, it’d be worse if she was taken over…” Honoka was mumbling to herself before quickly looking back at Eli. “Where are the rest of the human vessels?”

Eli furrowed her brow slightly at the term “human vessels” but chose to ignore it for now. “Why? So you can find your other lackey and do who knows what? I don’t think so demon.” The blonde pulled another seal out from her back pocket and hiding it behind her back, scanning the other for any opening. 

Honoka turned around on her heel, allowing Eli to dash forward. The blonde grabbed Honoka’s arm and slapped the seal on the other girl's arm. Honoka clutched the seal, trying to rip it off her skin as her eyes grew wide. Looking at Eli, she cursed under her breath before falling to her knees, the fire becoming weaker and weaker until only embers were left in the once blazing fireplace.

Just like the flame, Honoka had calmed down too. Her eyes were back to normal and she was trying to stabilize her breathing. Eli put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder to help steady her. There was a small burn where the seal had been on Honoka's arm. The paper was now lying limp on the floor, looking as it did before except now part of it was scorched.

"Are you okay?" Eli asked. After receiving a nod from the other girl, she looked over at Kotori whose eyes were still blank. She hadn't moved an inch from before, her position locked and eyes looking nowhere. 

"So Kotori-chan is being possessed right now huh..." Honoka whispered. The girl who had seemed so energetic this morning was oddly exhausted. Eli realized she didn't understand how much energy it must take to share a body with a demon. Sighing, the blonde nodded, putting a hand on Honoka's shoulder.

"Do you know where Umi is? Your demon mentioned something about how she isn't here."

Suddenly, all the energy that had been missing in Honoka's eyes lit back up again. Eli could see her eyes shine like lightning even as Honoka struggled to get up on her feet.

"Umi-chan isn't here?!" She looked around the room, Eli helping her get up, "That's really bad! Especially if her demon's out!" Honoka began nibbling on one of her knuckles, probably a bad habit.

Pulling Honoka's hand away from her mouth, Eli furrowed her brow, "What's wrong with Umi's demon? Can it control things like yours?"

The other girl’s brows knitted together, like she was trying to solve a particularly difficult problem. Honoka’s lower lip stuck out like she was pouting and her shoulders were hunched up, her entire body wound up in thought. Watching her, Eli couldn’t help but think that fire was an oddly fitting element for Honoka. 

Finally, Honoka seemed to relax, her eyes shining and almost jumping to face the blonde. She grabbed Eli by the hands and stared right into her eyes, “You knocked my demon out of me right? Just like how you did to Hanayo-chan this morning?”

“Yes, that’s correct.” Eli was slightly taken aback but managed to reply. Something about how Honoka moved was too fast, too bright. The other girl ran the short distance to where Kotori had been sitting (still unmoving).

“Well, Umi-chan’s demon is a little… Dangerous I guess? I don’t know she’s hard to describe,” she hooked her arms under Kotori’s, “But it’s better for everyone if we snap it out of her quickly so I’ll help Kotori-chan here and you can go snap Umi-chan out of it with your paper thingy!”

Eli couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose a little. Her seal a mere “paper thingy”? This hand-made parchment from the deep winter forest painted with ink from the leaves surrounding the chapel and blessed by the high priest himself as well as the leader of the Ayase family was no simple “paper thingy.” But before all those thoughts could be turned into words, Honoka had already lifted Kotori up off the couch and started walking towards the door.

“It’s raining and thundering pretty badly outside so the best place to find Umi-chan would probably be in her room. If her demon’s taken over though, she could be anywhere so be careful Eli-san!” Honoka held Kotori’s hand, the later dragging her feet across the floor as she followed where Honoka was going. 

The blonde sighed, going upstairs to her room. She put on her coat, making sure there were still extra seals stuffed into the inner pockets. From what Honoka had told her, there was no way of knowing what Umi’s demon might do. After making sure she was prepared, Eli left her room and went down to the second floor where she knew Umi’s room was. 

Passing the doors, Eli finally saw one that was slightly ajar. Walking with nary a sound, the blonde held her breath as she dimmed one of the lights outside of the door. Pushing it open just enough to squeeze inside the room, Eli was surprised that the lights weren’t on. Squinting in the dark, Eli attempted to distinguish a body from the muddled up shape of the furniture.

Reaching over onto the wall, Eli felt around until she found the light switch, fingers resting on it. Taking out a seal, she held it between her fingers as she flicked the lights on. 

There was a yell and a crash and the next thing she knew, Eli had shut the door and was pointing her seal at Umi. The other girl was standing against the opposite wall, trying to hide herself behind nothing. The kimono top Umi wore hung haphazardly off her shoulder, revealing much more skin than the day before. Eli gripped the seal tighter when she noticed that Umi's pupils were now surrounded by small, white dots. 

Remembering what Honoka had said about Umi’s demon, Eli didn’t know what she should do. Honoka said that Umi’s demon was dangerous, but the girl in front of Eli right now seemed scared out of her mind. The latter’s eyes were wide open, hands trying to grab onto the wall for anything but only finding more air. Carefully bringing down her hand and slipping the seal into her pocket, Eli maintained eye contact with Umi as much as possible, like with a frightened animal.

“Hello, I’m Eli--”

“Who are you!?” Umi blurted out, cutting off Eli mid sentence. Just as the as the blonde was about to speak again, “What are you doing in my room!? How did you get in? Did someone send you? Are you going to hurt me?” She began frantically looking around the room, a faint trail of mist escaping from her mouth, “Where’s the leader? Where- Eek!!”

Eli took a step forward, making sure to bring her foot down hard enough for the sound of her boot hitting the floor reverberated around the room over the rain hitting the glass. She took a deep breath and took out the seal, “This will be over soon.”

Before Eli could take another step forward, Umi had rushed passed her, shoving the blonde out of the way. Eli tumbled onto the bed, jumping off of it right when Umi reached for the doorknob. Grabbing the other girl’s wrists, Eli struggled to see as mist surrounded her head and she was shoved against the wall. She felt a sharp pain in her back and realized that she was being pushed right against the light switch. Biting her lip, Eli pushed herself down, turning off the lights and leaving the room in darkness. 

Suddenly, Eli felt her hands go limp. Fire began to bubble in the back of her throat and something chained her down to the floor where she was sitting. Breathing became laborious, threatening to choke her if she took in too much air at once. Palms clammy. Body shaking. Vision blurred and unfocused.

This was a horrible idea.

Eli was afraid of the dark.

The room filled with noise. Someone was screaming. There was the sound of bumps and things falling over. A burst of light flooded the entire room from behind the curtains and Eli could see someone fiddling with the latch on the closed window before everything turned dark again. She tried to remind herself there was still plenty of light outside. That it was only midday and that if she just reached up, there was a switch that would cover the room in light. But it was useless. Eli was frozen in place, trapped by her own fear.

A click.

There was light again but it was faint. Someone had drawn back the curtains and when Eli looked up, Umi was already halfway out the window. Scrabbling up to her feet, Eli barely touched the ground as she ran towards the other girl only to fall out of the window with her. Both landed on wet grass and Eli felt the rain on her body before the pain in her shoulder. Looking to the side, Umi was lying in the grass too, eyes closed and gripping onto the limp blades. 

\--------

Bandages restricted the blonde’s movement as she tried to bring the spoon up to her mouth. Eli was sitting in bed, dressed in a new set of clothes as her old ones were drying in the bathroom. There was a tray in her lap with a bowl of soup on it. Her shoulder was wrapped with bandages even though there was no injury on it. According to Nico she was “taping” it so it wouldn’t hurt. Falling out of a second story window left Eli with a dislocated shoulder and a large bruise. 

Eli couldn’t tell whether or not this taping actually kept her shoulder from hurting but it was getting in the way of her trying to eat her lunch. She grabbed the piece of bread with her other hand and decided to eat that instead, dropping the spoon onto the tray. It was only her second day and already she had been attacked, twice. 

Sighing, Eli finished her bread and picked up the tray carefully, setting it on the nightstand before getting out of bed. She began to stretch her legs, shaking out any soreness. The blonde sat on her bed, taking out her journal from its drawer and resting it on her lap. Clicking her pen, she began writing about the demons she had encountered. After listing them off, she realized that she had already seen most of them, the only exceptions being Nico and Nozomi.

As she kept writing, Eli barely noticed the knock at the door. Putting her journal away, Eli got up and answered. It was Nico, arms crossed and a fresh bruise across the back of her hand. 

“Nozomi wanted me to make sure you ate everything.” she mumbled, sounding like she didn’t really care. 

Eli looked back at the half full bowl of soup and cleared her throat, “Yeah, I’m almost done. Tell her it was really good.”

The shorter girl furrowed her brow, “I made that soup.”

“Oh.”

The two stood there in awkward silence for a while, Eli shifting her weight from one foot to the other and Nico staring at the hallway. Finally, Nico sighed, rubbing the back of her head slightly, “You know, staying here isn’t going to be a walk in the park. And neither is taking care of all the demons by yourself,” she crossed her arms again, “I don’t know what kind of things you need to do to ‘prove yourself’ or whatever, but if you need help, just ask me or Nozomi alright?”

Eli smiled, “Yeah, I will.” Her and Nico exchanged goodbyes before Eli sat back down on her bed. She took the tray again and decided to use her left hand to hold the spoon. After some fumbling, she managed to finish most of it and got up, picking up the tray and going downstairs to the kitchen. 

On her way down, she saw Umi’s room down the hall and heard a mix of voices. Eli made a mental note to check up on Umi later and continued to the kitchen. There, she found Nozomi washing the dishes that were probably used during lunch. She set them down in the sink, wordlessly moving to Nozomi’s side and moving the wet dishes onto the drying rack. The other girl giggled, looking over at the blonde.

“Wow, how dashing, helping a lady without saying a word. Was wooing women part of your training as well Elicchi?”

“I was just taught to pull my own weight. Usually Honoka and the others would be doing this, right?” Eli tried to keep a smile from breaking onto her face, checking that the dishes were free of any soap bubbles before letting them dry.

“Well thanks to you Elicchi, the demons aren’t causing as much trouble,” Nozomi turned the faucet off and wiped her hands on a towel, “It’s only been two days and you’ve already been much more of a help than you might think. Even though you managed to hurt yourself twice.”

The two of the laughed, Eli putting the last few dishes on the rack. Nozomi handed her the towel and their hands brushed for just a second, drawing another giggle from both of them. From down the hall they heard some commotion, including hissing. Looking at each other, Eli handed the towel back to Nozomi, smiling before exiting the kitchen first to check out what was happening.

Nozomi folded the towel and set it on the countertop, looking at her reflection on the pots and pans littered around the room. There was a quick flash of yellow in her eyes before they returned to their original shade of turquoise. She gripped her chest slightly, whispering to herself, “Not yet, I need to last a few more days. Until Elicchi is used to it. Until then, please keep yourself quiet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew! this ch is finally done! its a little longer than the others but has plenty of stuff going on lol lots of dialogue since tons of prose isn't exactly my forte and its not rlly how i wanted this fic to play out as and there was no way i was going to forget eli's fear of the dark huhuhu after this will be a time skip! (of like three days lol) and we'll be able to meet some more secondary characters to the story as for nico and nozomi's demon... well you'll have to wait and see lol  
> as always hmu at hb48.tumblr.com to tell me how you like the fic, what i should change, etc etc and check out godbear999.tumblr.com too


	5. Beware the Afternoon Sun

It was hot. 

The rain that had pounded down for the last few days seemed to finally let up. In its place was the sun, shining through the clouds that still lingered in the sky. Eli left her coat in the mansion, hanging it up in the closet and locking it away. Rolling up her sleeves, she could feel the sun hit her skin and soak into her clothes. It was the first time since she got there that Eli was able to leave the mansion. Usually the girls would have their groceries and goods delivered to them but with Eli there, they could send her to run errands. 

Counting the money she was given, Eli walked down the path and into town. It was just before noon and Otonokizaka was bustling with activity. Everyone seemed to know each other and Eli was shocked when, just like on her first day here, the townsfolk greeted her with a smile. Smiling back, Eli looked through her shopping list. It was mostly food and a few other things, like fabric for Kotori and paper for Maki to write on. 

People were yelling, advertising their stalls and Eli stopped at almost all of them, persuaded by their friendliness. It was a long time before Eli was even close to gathering everything that was on her list. As she walked through the town square, she noticed a shop that seemed to sell traditional sweets. Looking up at the shop's sign, she recognized a character on it. It was the same one that was on the apron Honoka wore. Curious, Eli entered, looking around the interior.

There was a pleasant silence inside the shop, a wind chime in an open window ringing every so often. The entire place smelled like red beans and flour with a hint of green tea. Eli closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, feeling herself almost instantly relax. It was warm, like the sun outside. Not hot, but warm. Eli remembered a bakery in her hometown she would visit with her grandmother.

"Welcome, were you looking for something?"

Turning around, Eli saw a woman in an apron similar to Honoka's standing behind the counter, eyes soft but full of fire. The blonde's mind wandered back to Honoka. This entire place reminded her of the girl. "Yes," the words are out of Eli's mouth before she could think, "What would you reccommend?"

"Let me see..." the woman left her spot behind the counter, "My favorite are these." She pointed at a model of red bean buns, acrylic paint chipping off near the edges. "We have some fresh ones ready."

"Then I'll take a dozen of them." Eli smiled, going back to the counter with the woman and paying. The question tugged at the back of her mind, and just as she was about to ask...

"Here you go Mom, a dozen red bean buns."

Her hair was red and cut short. Her eyes were noticeably more turquoise than blue and she had a much smaller frame, but there was no mistaking it. The shine in her eyes, the one that sparked like lightning and made fire seem so fitting. The nibbling on the knuckle as her mother reprimanded her for accidentally bringing only ten red bean buns.

"Excuse me, but are you Honoka's family?"

They freeze. What used to be warmth in the air suddenly stills, turning into a stuffy humidity. Eli felt her palms grow sweaty from under her gloves, scolding herself for being so sudden. From seeing the mayor she knew this was a sensitive topic. 

"So, what if we are?" the younger girl speaks up first, her mother still in a bit of shock.

"I'm Ayase Eli. I came here from the north to help take care of Honoka and the others inside of the mansion.” Before Eli could explain further, Honoka’s mother wrapped her into a hug, thanking her over and over again. The younger girl looked at Eli suspiciously, and the blonde could see a burn scar along one side of her neck. No doubt from Honoka’s demon. 

After being released by Honoka’s mother, Eli smiled and explained the situation. The entire time, Honoka’s younger sister (who was named Yukiho), stared at her. Eli wasn’t sure what to make of it. Did Yukiho not trust her? Was she wary of strangers getting close to her older sister? It was only when Honoka’s mother left to get more red bean buns that the two were alone.

“So you’re taking care of Onee-chan and her friends?” Yukiho spoke up, trying to look disinterested but throwing a glance at Eli every now and then, “It’s a tough job you know. There’s a reason they’re in that mansion.”

“I know, I’ve learned just how hard it will be in the few days I’ve been here. But I’m determined to take good care of them.”

Yukiho brought her hand to her scar absent mindedly, tracing over it with a finger, “Onee-chan isn’t just someone that needs to be taken care of. Don’t try to trap her, it only makes it worse and it’s bad enough that she’s kept inside that dumb house. I can’t even see her.” Yukiho’s knuckles were turning white from how tightly she was grabbing onto the end of her shirt, “So you better let her do all the dumb things she’d always do. If I found out you’re treating her like some old lady or something, I’ll beat you up.”

Eli nodded, giving Yukiho a reassuring pat on the shoulder. The younger girl seemed to relax but insisted her comment about beating her up was true and with her attitude, Eli didn’t doubt it. Honoka’s mother returned with the rest of the red bean buns and Eli left the shop, taking one more look at the store’s sign before going on with the rest of her errands.

The sun was even stronger by the time she returned to the mansion. Entering through the gates, Eli was still mulling over what Yukiho had told her. It was true that all the girls were all young and that it wasn’t right to constantly hover over them. But with the constant threat of possession, what was Eli supposed to do? She entered the mansion still deep in thought when something jumped at her. Elli narrowly dodged it, almost dropping her groceries as she sped away from the door. Placing the bags on the ground, Eli had barely looked up before being tackled to the ground by Rin. Her hair shone in the sunlight and her eyes had already shifted, low growls coming from the back of the younger girl’s throat.

Keeping eye contact, Eli used one hand to keep Rin from biting off her face and the other to search around for the grocery bags. Finding one she grabbed something warm and brought it in front of Rin’s face. The younger girl’s eyes instantly widened and her grip on Eli disappeared, opting to sit in her lap instead. Sitting up, Eli tore off part of the red bean bun and held it in her hand as Rin instead turned her head and took a large bite out of the rest of the bun. Rin kept taking chunks out of the red bean bun, biting Eli’s fingers a few times before she finally decided to eat the piece that was still on the blonde’s palm. 

“Ah, Elicchi you’re back.” Rin turned her head to the source of the voice, and used Eli’s lap as a launch pad as she ran towards Nozomi. Rubbing her legs, Eli could hear purring and Nozomi whispering “good kitty, good kitty” as she picked up the grocery bags. Checking over the bite marks on her fingers, Eli got up, thankful that while one of her gloves exposed her fingers both protected her palms. As she approached Nozomi, Rin immediately tensed up, hissing softly. While Eli had been trying to “get along better” with Rin’s demon by feeding it like Nozomi suggested, it usually ended up like what just happened. The demon would only let its guard down to eat and then go back to hating the blonde.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I took so long,” Eli kept a safe distance away from Nozomi, following her into the kitchen as Rin kept right on the other girl’s heel, “I met Honoka’s family while I was in town and got some red bean buns from their shop.”

Nozomi smiled happily. “You should tell Honoka-chan you saw her family then. She’s probably curious to know how they’re doing, even though they send letters here all the time.”

Eli nodded and left the kitchen to look for Honoka. Thinking back to Yukiho, Eli couldn’t help but think about her own younger sister. Unlike Eli, Arisa possessed a great amount of spiritual power and could talk to and see spirits. Praised as a prodigy, she had always been the favorite of the elders and was revered back in their town while Eli was barely seen, always off training. Despite this, the two of them were close and Arisa deeply admired her elder sister and was heart broken when she learned Eli had to leave. The two of them promised to write each other and Eli wondered whether her first letter had reached Arisa yet. 

She found Honoka with Kotori and Umi. Over the last few days Eli noticed that the three were never far apart from each other. Entering the room, there was more heat than outside. Eli groaned, wiping the sweat forming on her brow as she took out a seal.

“Out again huh?” Honoka turned, black sclera shining as she spun on her heel. Grinning, the demon opened her arms in a flourish and sighed.

“Yes, isn’t it great?” Eli rolled her eyes and saw Umi and Kotori behind their friend, both unpossessed, “And this time, I can actually do something with this girl’s lackeys!”

Umi looked like she was going to speak up before drawing back as Kotori put a hand on her shoulder, “Honoka-chan’s our friend, not our boss. And you can’t make us do whatever you want just because you’re in her body.”

“Oh can’t I?” Sparks began to light up on Honoka’s fingers, soon all of them were engulfed with flames as she walked closer to Kotori, “Well then, why don’t I mess up that cute little face of your’s?”

Running forward, Eli grabbed onto Honoka’s torso as the later was inches away from Kotori’s nose. The blonde wrestled with Honoka as she reached up for the other’s neck, managing to slap the seal on Honoka’s jaw. Eli let go of the other girl as she fell forward towards Kotori, who caught her in a hug. She ran her hand along Honoka’s back, mouthing a “thank you” at Eli. 

Eli quickly nodded and left the room, deciding to come back later to tell Honoka about her family. Walking through the halls, she could see Maki with an unpossessed Rin and Hanayo running around the grass. Rin held a cattail in her hand waving it around and chasing the others. Hanayo was laughing while Maki was shouting something, but smiling all the time. Seeing them like this made it all the stranger to think that at any moment, the could lose control of their own body. 

The halls were mostly quiet, the vast mansion only occupying nine residents. It looked like it should hold at least a hundred people and even had a ballroom. Sunlight poured in from the windows as Eli wandered around the halls, half looking for Nozomi half unsure of what to do now. Before she noticed, Eli was near the entrance to the ballroom. She pushed the large double doors open as the faint smell of flowers blew past her. Near the back of the room was a raised stage with a podium, probably used for announcements and showing off. Next to the stage were two doors that lead out to the balcony that overlooked the back garden. 

Curled up near the bottom of the stage was a figure. Approaching it, Eli was shocked to see that it was Nico. The smaller girl was lying on her side, knees up to her chest and eyes boring holes into the smooth floor. Her scleras were black at the edges but unlike Maki’s they became grayer as they got closer to her pupils. Suddenly, Nico’s eyes focused on Eli. It sent chills down the blonde’s spine how red they were. 

Nico sat up, keeping her knees up to her chest and gaze fixated on Eli. Her tights were noticeably ripped up and Eli held back a grimace at the newly made scrapes and bruises. She hadn’t met Nico’s demon before, she’d only seen the aftermath of their actions. The cuts on the smaller girl’s hands, the constantly changing bruises, or the sound of pattering feet during the night as Nico suffered from one too many cups of coffee. According to Nozomi, the demon didn’t take over Nico often but did influence her actions which included making a knife slip out from her fingers or dropping something on her own foot.

“Hey, Ayase.” Eli looked back at Nico, her voice barely a whisper as she pushed herself off the floor so she could stand up, “Are you going to try and get me out?”

Steeling her nerves Eli barely kept her voice steady, "Yes, I am. I know that you're dangerous to Nico and everyone else here."

Nico took a few steps closer, dragging her feet along the floor, "Well then, do it. Get me out of here."

Eli swallowed the lump in her throat, reaching into her pocket for a sealing charm when she caught sight of something gleaming in Nico's hand. Jumping back just in time, Eli barely missed the tip of a sharpened piece of glass. Nico's hand bled over the shard and onto the floor. She must have been hiding it in her pocket, thought Eli as she dodged another jab by Nico. Her heart was pounding as each attack came closer to hitting its mark. 

Just as Nico came in for another jab, Eli blocked the attack. The glass cut her skin as she grabbed the shorter girl's arm. With a quick twist of her torso Eli placed the seal on Nico's neck. As Nico's eyes returned to normal, the glass she was holding shattered on the floor. Blood was dripping from both their wounds and Eli bit her lip in agony. Nico was sitting by the stage again, trying to catch her breath while the blonde looked down at her arm. 

It has a long cut running from above her elbow down to the wrist, cutting through her shirt. While it didn't seem very deep, it was bleeding and Eli ran towards the ballroom entrance to call for help.

The first one to show up was Hanayo, who almost fainted at the sight of the blood. Maki came in soon after and told Rin to grab a first aid kit. Apparently her family ran the local hospital and so she mostly handled injuries. Honoka, Kotori, and Umi arrived after and Umi actually fainted. Nozomi showed up last and spent the entire time half lecturing them and half making sure they were alright.

Maki gave Nico a towel to clean her hand with as she dealt with Eli's wound. The disinfectant stung so badly the blonde had to fight back tears but soon her arm was covered in bandages and gauze. After checking for any other injuries, Maki left Eli to check on Nico. She repeated the same process with the shorter girl before checking on her legs as well. Nico complained about how Maki didn't need to treat all those little scrapes and Maki insisted that she did.

Dinner came and went and Eli found herself confined to her bedroom once again. With nothing to do, the blonde wrote in her journal about what she had learned. She now had a two page spread for each demon and was filling out information about Nico's demon. Taciturn, violent, causes sclera to form black to white gradation, tried to stab me with glass...

A knock on the door drew Eli out of her thoughts. She has been sitting without a shirt (since the glass had ripped the sleeve) and quickly put on a tank top before opening the door. Nozomi stood in the dim light of the hallway, already dressed in her nightgown, hair let out of their usual twintails creating waves down her back.

"May I come in?"

The blonde quickly stepped aside and helped Nozomi sit on the bed. Closing the door, Eli sat down and shivered as Nozomi ran her hand down the bandaged area. Her fingers brushed against Eli so softly, the blonde could barely notice. Suddenly, the touch stopped and now Nozomi's hand was on Eli's upper arm. 

"Elicchi, you have a tattoo?"

"Yes, I do," Eli touched right above Nozomi's hand, "It resembles my family emblem. I got it to help make me stronger."

Nozomi's fingers traced around the pattern. Down along the cross, over the two roses on either side, and following the flowers' leaves and thorns. It's vibrant colors stood out against the blonde's pale skin. Mere inches above it, a little past where Eli's shoulder and arm connected, was a large scar. It had faded but parts were still visible underneath the tank top. Nozomi let her eyes trace it as it snaked down below fabric.

Looking up at the blonde, Nozomi noticed Eli had been watching her all this time. Their eyes met and both knew they were blushing. Eli leaned back, trying to create distance between them but Nozomi quickly closed it. Now their faces were mere inches away from each other. The blonde felt her face go red and brought a hand up to Nozomi's cheek, brushing away some hair. Eli could feel Nozomi's breath on her lips as they sat there unmoving. Closing her eyes, Eli moved ever so slightly in order to close the distance between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> hmu on tumblr: hb48.tumblr.com ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)


	6. Inside the Town

Eli's lips felt something soft. However, it wasn't lips.

The blonde opened her eyes to see Nozomi holding her hands up between their lips. Eli's vision was clouded by the other girl's fingers but from what she could see, Nozomi's expression was unreadable. They moved apart, both sheepish about what had almost happened.

"Sorry Elicchi," Nozomi was looking at the floor, "I really like you but... There's a reason why we can't. It's dangerous."

Muck settled in Eli's chest, weighing down her heart. Part of her was confused and upset but another knew Nozomi must have her reasons. Still, the heavy feeling didn't go away and Eli had to bite back the disappointment in her voice.

“I understand. I should have asked first.” Nozomi’s brows were knitted, her lips pursed together like she was trying to lock away her words. She took Eli’s hand, tracing over the blonde’s bandages again. A comfortable silence settled over the two of them as Eli felt that heaviness lift away. Closing her eyes, Eli took in the faint smell of lavender and made a mental note that Nozomi must use lavender scented something. 

All of a sudden, the soft caresses stopped, causing Eli to open her eyes again. Nozomi was sitting on the bed with her hand clutching her face. She was mumbling to herself, her voice barely over a whisper before she whipped her head back up. Golden eyes looked at Eli and the blonde felt her blood go cold. This was the first time she was meeting Nozomi’s demon.

“Oh my god you big baby!” Nozomi shouted at… herself, “You couldn’t just keep your hands down? This was what you wanted isn’t it? What we wanted?” She crossed her arms, clearly angry at the real Nozomi. Eli blinked slowly, stunned that nothing had tried to attack her yet. 

“Are you… Nozomi’s demon?”

Nozomi blinked, golden eyes leaving little trails of light as she moved her head. “Oh? Yes I am,” she smiled, “It’s great to finally meet you Eli.”

Eli. Not Elicchi or the accented “Eri” that the others called her. Just, Eli. 

“It’s, uh, great to meet you too.” Eli nervously stroked her palm with her thumb, unsure of why this demon was being so friendly. Nozomi had told her it would be dangerous if they kissed. Was it because of the demon? Does that mean the demon likes her too? Her mind was racing with possibilities when Nozomi tapped her shoulder.

“I usually don’t take over Nozomi’s body, but I guess I got kind of frustrated,” Nozomi moved a strand of hair behind her ear, “You see, there’s just a lot that that girl keeps to herself. She’s always been kind of like that. But we both enjoy your company Eli.”

The blonde blushed slightly, nodding. “So is it okay if I come and talk to you every now and then?” Nozomi grinned, no different from when she wasn’t possessed. Eli didn’t like it when the girls were possessed. They had no say in it and it’s done against their will. 

“Just don’t trouble Nozomi,” Eli pushed her bangs back slowly, letting them fall over her forehead, “You’re a lot nicer than the other demons, but I don’t like it when anyone is being possessed.”

Nozomi frowned slightly, but quickly put on another smile, “Yes ma’am.”

\-----

It’s been almost two months since Eli arrived in Otonokizaka. Dealing with the demons became an everyday occurrence and she had learned to handle them without forcibly expelling them from their host each time. Although she still didn’t like seeing the girl’s be possessed, it didn’t phase her nearly as much now and even as a demon she still enjoyed Nozomi’s company. Sure Nozomi’s demon wasn’t exactly nice but she was much more agreeable than the others and hadn’t raised a finger at Eli. 

On the other hand, Nico’s demon had tried to stab the blonde several more times and threw herself down the stairs a fair number of times. The other demons were troublesome as well but Eli had pretty much learned all of their patterns. She had also become more acquainted with the people in town, meeting the other girls’ families as well. 

The autumn leaves settled in the grass all around the mansion. Eli stretched, feeling the cold wind on her cheeks as she raked some leaves into a pile. Turning around she heard the faint sound of feet on grass before leaves were flying all around her. Honoka and Rin were sitting in the (former) leaf pile, laughing their heads off and rolling around on what little was left over. Sighing, Eli walked over and gently hit them on their heads, chastising them for messing up her hard work. Their punishment was raking up the leaves themselves.

Going back inside the mansion, Eli was greeted with a mug of coffee from Kotori and an apology from Umi. The three of them talked idly with Eli looking outside every now and again to make sure neither Honoka nor Rin were possessed. 

After finishing her coffee, Eli went upstairs and sat on her bed. Stacked up on her dresser were letters from Arisa. There were only a few and Eli reread them. The villagers had little trouble adjusting to not seeing Eli and most had assumed she would never return (how rude). Although Arisa’s training had become more harsh, she still had time to take breaks and write to her older sister. She was planning to visit after the town’s Winter festival which was only a few months away.

Putting away the letters, the blonde went to her window and let the fall breeze blow into the room. Looking down, Eli could see Honoka and Rin chasing each other with rakes, only occasionally stopping to actually clean up the leaves scattered across the yard. Eli chuckled, finding herself a comfortable spot to sit next to her window and watching the two younger girls play around. Even without demons around, there weren’t that many times she’s ever felt this relaxed. 

Because of her weak spiritual power, Eli spent almost all of her free time training but now, there were lots of moments where she could just sit and watch the sky change colors or see how the leaves dropped from the branches. Closing her eyes, it was as if Eli was being swept away by the wind until she was floating with the clouds. She felt a faint throbbing on her shoulder and absent mindedly rubbed the spot until it faded into nothing. 

The sound of shouting made Eli’s eyes rip open. It was coming from the village. The blonde ran out of her room, throwing on her coat as she sped out the door. Honoka and Rin were trying to look out past the front gate and Eli quickly shooed them back inside. After she made sure everyone was inside, Eli left the mansion, heading down to the main square. There was a large crowd gathered and there was shouting from the center. One was the voice of a man and the other was a young girl. Shoving her way through the crowd, Eli kept one hand at her holster, ready to break up the fight.

In the middle of the crowd was a man and Yukiho who stood protectively in front of three younger children. 

"Get out of the way! Those kids stole from my family's shop! And besides, how do we know if one of them isn't hosting another demon!?" the man bellowed as he almost shook with rage.

"There's just kids! Do you honestly think they're trying to hurt you?" Yukiho yelled back, gently putting a hand on one of the kids' shoulder. Now that she looked at them those kids reminded her of someone...

"Shut up! Your older sister is a demon too isn't she!? Isn't she the one that did THAT to you!?" he pointed a finger at the burn scar that crawled up Yukiho's neck and grazed right under her jaw. She instinctively brought a hand up to it, scowling.

The man took a step forward, hand out to grab Yukiho or one of the kids when cold metal was pressed against his palm. Eli stood in front of him, her gun on the man's skin and eyes coldly staring him down.

"Sir, if it does not trouble you, please leave these children alone." Her gun remained drawn as the man stepped away, face white as a sheet.

"You," he gulped, "You're the woman who is living in there… You’re in it with these damn demons!”

“Those ‘demons’ are safely away inside of that mansion. There is no reason for you to terrorize their families.”

“But what if they’re possessed too?! Besides they stole from my-!”

A single shot rang out and the man almost flew backwards. Eli watched the bark chip away from the tree she had shot, turning back to look at the now panic-stricken man. “I have been called here to protect those girls. Of course, this extends to their families as well. Plus,” she pulled back the safety, “I despise weaklings who target children.”

The man didn’t even bother to look back as he ran through the crowd until Eli couldn’t see his silhouette anymore. Making sure the safety on her gun was back on, the blonde put it back on the holster before telling the crowd to disperse. She motioned for Yukiho and the kids to follow her, taking them into a small restaurant she had visited the week before. The three kids lined up on one side of the booth while Yukiho awkwardly took a seat next to Eli.

“You guys can order whatever you like, I’ll pay for it.” Eli smiled (she hoped gently) and pushed a menu towards the oldest of the three kids, a girl whose hair was up in a ponytail. Ponytail-girl nodded and smiled back, showing the menu to the other two. Glancing at Yukiho, the younger girl was biting at her knuckles. Just like Honoka. 

“You choose something to eat too Yukiho.”

Bashfully raising her head, she took a menu off of the table and skimmed it quickly. “I think I’ll just have ramen or something… Have you chosen yet, Kokoro-chan?” Yukiho looks over at the ponytail-girl. 

Kokoro nodded politely, “I’m going to have the B Lunch set, Kotarou wants tamago kake gohan, and Kokoa wants-”

“I wanna eat ramen too!” a girl with light brown hair tied to the side interrupted Kokoro. Kokoa grinned and looked over at Eli, “Thanks for saving us back there miss. Onee-chan has been telling a lot about you, I thought you’d be a lot stuffier.”

“Stuffy?” Eli wrinkled her brows, that cheeky attitude sure did resemble their sister, “You three really are Nico’s siblings huh?”

Kokoro, Kokoa, and Kotarou Yazawa. Nico talked about them a lot, well more like bragged about them. Ever since their father’s death, their mom had to take over their family’s mining business. But that meant it was usually Nico and her siblings in the house. After being put inside the mansion, the three younger Yazawas still took care of themselves, with Kokoro taking over Nico’s role. She always wrote them letters and talked about how much they’ve grown up. It was a little strange to see them in person.

After double checking their orders, Eli called over the waitress, ordering chicken karaage for herself. The waitress came back with their tea and the blonde held back a laugh as Kokoa almost burnt her tongue on the hot drink. 

As they ate Eli got a chance to talk with all of them. Appearance wise Kokoro was the spitting image of Nico while Kokoa was similar to Nico in personality. Kotarou looked a little like Nico but was generally taciturn, though he was the youngest so maybe he was just being shy. Eli was so caught up chatting with those three that she didn’t realize until after everything was paid for that Yukiho had barely said a word. Usually Yukiho would be asking Eli every question under the sun about how Honoka was doing. 

The kids (mostly Kokoa) kept talking all the way back to their house. It was simple and the front yard was neatly kept with flowers stretching out in front of the porch. Goodbyes were over with quickly and Eli promised to visit them when their mom was around. Now it was just Eli and Yukiho. They walked down the road and for a while Eli thought they were headed back to the Kousaka family shop until they veered off onto a more remote dirt road.

Rocks bordered the path, guiding Eli as she silently walked behind Yukiho. They were inside the forest now and the road was becoming steeper and less even. Eventually Yukiho left it all together, weaving through the trees and bushes until the foliage finally cleared and the two stood on a grassy hilltop that overlooked at least half the village. From this spot the mansion was clearly visible, smoke coming up from the chimney and yard hidden behind the ivy-covered fence.

"My sister showed me this spot," Yukiho sat down in the grass and pulled her knees up to her chin, "Onee-chan and I would come up here and look at the town. She'd talk about how much she wanted to travel and help people. About Kotori-san and Umi-san and their plans for when they grew up." 

She ran her hand through the grass, pulling up a handful of stalks and letting them slip through her fingers, "But then she had to go in there," Yukiho points a finger at the mansion accusingly, "And we couldn't talk here anymore. 

"It made me angry. What did Onee-chan ever do? She didn't ask for it. They said I should know first hand how dangerous she could be," her hand traced around the scar, "But I didn't want her to leave."

Yukiho stared at the grass, "Those kids don't really get everything that's going on. Maybe Kokoro-chan but I don't think she understands how bad it is, for her sister especially. Sometimes they ask me if they can go see Nico-san. But I have to say they can't and sometimes they'll get mad or upset. I don't even know what I want to tell you right now or why I'm letting myself babble like this," she looks up at the sky now, "Maybe I thought you'd understand how I feel."

Eli looked up at the sky with Yukiho. The sun was just starting to set and a haze of pink was starting to form on the horizon. Her eyes focused in on the small stream of smoke in the air, following it down to the mansion behind the ivy fence. Inside, Nozomi and Nico were probably making dinner. She couldn’t see whether or not Rin and Honoka had finished raking up the leaves in the yard. Maki was probably with Hanayo looking over books or playing the piano. Kotori and Umi would be wherever Honoka was, the trio spending their free time bonding. But any of them could be possessed right now. 

“I’m not really that great with words,” Yukiho furrowed her brows, “But I think you and the kids are brave. It’s hard being away from your sister.” Eli remembers the letters Arisa had written and the pangs of loneliness that always hit with those words. How lonelier it must be when the one you’re missing is so close. 

“Do you wanna go see her?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and more development! plus a time skip!!!  
> what do you think about Nozomi's demon? not as threatening as you thought? mysterious?  
> leave me comments bc that and kudos makes me more motivated to write lmao as always hmu on my tumblr at hb48.tumblr.com


	7. Regret

“Do you wanna go see her?”

The words were out of Eli’s mouth before she could stop them. Yukiho looked exasperated. Both of them knew that it was a ridiculous idea but Eli’s words kept spilling out between them. “I’ll walk with you inside. Make sure you’re safe and take you to Honoka. You two can talk a little bit and I’ll get you out of there before night fall.”

Eli was ready to take her words back when Yukiho nodded, “I’ll do it. I wanna see Onee-chan again.” That did it. There was no way Eli could take it back now. The demons had been appearing a little less too, and it wasn’t even night so it was even more likely none of them would be out. Going to the mansion and bringing Yukiho back to her family’s shop would be easy. If this worked maybe she could even bring the Yazawa kids over. 

They went back down the little mountain and Yukiho brought Eli through the forest on a back path towards the mansion. Soon the large ivy gates were within view and the older girl quickly opened up the gate with her key, making sure Yukiho was inside before going in after her. Yukiho looked stunned, her breath stuck in her throat and hands clenched into tight fists. Eli felt uncertainty bubbling in her chest but pushed it down and opened the front doors. She stepped inside first but Yukiho just stared for a minute before carefully, cautiously following.

There was little sound in the house except for the faint echoes of pots and pans being moved around. It was impossible to tell where Honoka might be. Eli decided to take Yukiho upstairs to her room; it would be the best place for her to wait until Eli could find her sister. The younger girl stood behind her, back straight as a ruler and lips drawn tightly together. A perfect picture of nervousness. 

“How long has it been since you’ve seen Honoka?”

Yukiho jumped at the question, stuttering through her reply, “Um, I think like three or four years ago. I snuck out of the house to go see her and she was near the gate. She was really happy to see me but told me I had to go so I could barely talk to her.” 

“Hm.” Eli hummed out a response, thinking to herself about where Honoka could be. Usually she would be with Kotori and Umi in the living room, but maybe she went back outside to rake the leaves… “Yukiho, follow me.” They went up the stairs quickly, both afraid they would be found by the others. When they reached the third floor, Eli ushered Yukiho into her room. 

“You should be safe here as long as you keep the door closed. Don’t answer until I come back,” Eli knocked on the door three times in quick succession, “I’ll knock like this, okay?”

Yukiho nodded and sat on a chair, shifting her weight from one side to the other, biting her knuckle. After checking that there was nothing in her room and that the window was locked shut, Eli closed the door behind her as she went back downstairs to look for Honoka. The search took longer than usual because she wasn’t in her usual spot. Instead, she was with Kotori and Umi in the library. There were a large pile of books surrounding them and each had one in their hands. While Umi seemed to be concentrating on the text, Kotori would often look away from the pages, and Honoka wasn’t even paying attention to her book opting instead to just flipping through the pages over and over. 

All three girls looked up when Eli knocked on one of the bookshelves softly. Honoka immediately dropped her book onto the table and jumped out of her seat, “Hi Eli-san! Did you get back from town? What happened? You were pretty quick to run out.” 

Eli felt the nervousness bubble up inside her, “It was, uh, nothing. I panicked over a relatively minor conflict but it’s all settled now,” She stroked the side of her hand with her thumb, she needed to get Honka away from the other two somehow… “What are you girls doing?”

“We’ve been reading about this town’s history,” Kotori replied, “We thought that maybe they would help us figure more stuff about this mansion and the town, but we haven’t found anything yet.”

“Yeah! All the books say like, the exact same thing and it’s all stuff we’ve known since we were kids,” Honoka sighed and made an over exaggerated shrugging motion, “But Umi-chan said we should keep looking.”

Umi closed her book, which Eli noticed was full of dog-eared pages, and joined the conversation, “Of course we should keep looking. And we have not only found old information. For example, we never knew the real owner of the mansion until now, correct? And why it’s been used since their death to keep the town’s… Helpless.” Her grip on the book tightened as she forced out that last word, “We also found out that we are not a simple phenomenon.”

“What are you girls talking about?”

“Oh yeah, you’re not from here so you wouldn’t know Eli-san,” Honoka folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them, “There’s a story that this mansion was owned years and years ago by a rich and greedy baron. He used his money to rule over the town like a king - even the mayor couldn’t stop him since he owned almost all the fields and mines. One day, the baron became ill. No one knew how to cure him and he didn’t let anyone but his servants see him. Soon word spread around town that the baron wasn’t ill but cursed! Because of his greed, the curse would just make him sicker and sicker until he died.

Eventually a shaman from the north came to see him and told him how to undo the curse. The only way to cure him was if he did something so generous it made up for all of his past greed. So he sold all the fields and the mines back to the town and opened up his mansion for the town’s unfortunates - people who were penniless, homeless, or too sick to work. The baron slowly began to recover and was able to leave his room for the first time since he had been struck ill. When he saw the people who were living in his mansion, he was disgusted but pretended to be a changed man. 

He died a few months later and his true feelings were revealed in letters he had written to his friends. Ever since, the baron’s house has been used to keep people who have nowhere else to go. We don’t really have penniless, homeless people anymore so now it’s our house.” 

“Except that the baron died of old age, not because of some curse and let the village use his house in his will. There was no curse either, the baron had simply become a better person,” Umi said curtly, shutting her book, “We also found out that there have been other cases of demonic possession in this town. Although those are already a hundred years old.” 

Eli put a hand in her pocket, “That’s pretty amazing. I’ll have to look into it myself later. But, um, Honoka can I talk to you? I went to visit your family earlier. Let’s go talk in my roo-!?” 

At the mention of her family, Honoka immediately grabbed Eli’s hands and began dragging her away. Eli struggled to keep up as Honoka took two stairs at a time, her mouth going a mile a minute asking questions about anything and everything. How was her mom? Did the shop look a-okay? Was her dad back home? When would Yukiho start school again? Did her dog get any bigger? 

Finally stopping at the door, Eli broke herself free of Honoka’s (surprisingly strong) grasp and knocked on the door three times quickly. Honoka looked confused, scrunching her eyebrows together when she heard the door unlock from the inside. But it only took a small flash of red hair and blue eyes before she was already past the door and into Yukiho’s arms. Eli closed the door behind her as the two sisters lay hugging on the floor. 

“You got so big Yukiho! I bet you’re almost my height now!” Honoka was grinning from ear to ear, tears streaming down her face, “I bet you’ve got all the boys in school turning heads.”

“Ugh, you’re so dumb,” Yukiho tried to sound calm but she looked as if she would start sobbing any minute, “I’ve missed you a lot, Onee-chan.”

Honoka threw her arms around Yukiho, whispering “I missed you too,” while kissing her sister’s forehead. The two laid in each other’s arms, grinning and giggling at nothing but also everything. It was as if they were making up for all the time they couldn’t touch or see one another.

Eli smiled, letting them have their own space, walking into the bathroom. While the church frowned upon vanity, the Ayase family prided themselves in outer appearance and Eli flattened some creases on her shirt. She redid her ponytail, combing her hair back in long strokes. Walking back into her room, she saw Honoka and Yukiho talking on her bed. Looks like they needed a little more time. 

Noticing that the sun was showing the first signs of setting, Eli made a mental note to take Yukiho home soon. She took her gloves off and set them on the bathroom counter, taking out a first aid kit from inside a cabinet. Sitting on the toilet, Eli began replacing some bandages wrapped around her palm, the results of another encounter with Nico’s demon. 

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering crashed through the room. Eli jumped up, letting the bandages fall off her hand as she ran into the bedroom. Yukiho was pinned down to the floor, a hand around her neck and Honoka hovering above her. 

“It’s so nice to see you again squirt, you sure have grown up,” Honoka smirks, eyes shining bright blue and black, “The kid wouldn’t shut up about y—” 

Eli felt her body crash against the wall, arms around Honoka’s body as the other girl struggled to get away, “Yukiho! Run!” 

She heard footsteps dashing out of the room before a powerful hit to her gut left her out of breath. Arms weakened, Honoka managed to break free of her grasp, chasing Yukiho out the room and down the stairs. Eli coughed, struggling to regulate her breathing as she ran after them. Yukiho had gone down the hall of the second floor and was trapped at a dead end, facing down a laughing Honoka. 

“Looks like you’re gonna have another scar squirt…” she raised her hand up, fingers catching on fire, when her legs stopped moving, “What the—!?” 

The younger girl had already taken the chance and ran back towards the stairs where she met up with Eli. They almost tumbled down the stairs, Honoka close behind them. Sometimes she got so close, the blonde could feel the flames’ heat on her back and neck. But whenever that happened, something managed to keep Honoka from moving for a few seconds, just long enough for the other two to gain a lead. 

Cold, biting air greeted them as they stumbled out into the yard, racing towards the gate. Nozomi was in the garden, looking up at the noise. Eli shouted at her to open the gate and Nozomi managed to open it just as Yukiho rushed through. Following behind her, Eli heard a loud slam just as Honoka reached the gate. 

It had closed and now she could finally take some time to breathe. Panting, Eli held onto Yukiho, checking to make sure she was okay. Besides a small cut on her hand, she seemed unscathed. 

“Urrgh, even in this kid’s body I can’t run fast enough!” Honoka growled, hands gripping tightly onto the gate’s bars, “Damnit! What is the point of having a host if they can’t even do something like this right? Why I- Urk!”

Honoka’s face tensed with pain as her hands shook, eyes flashing between black and white sclera. She tried to say something, but it came out a mess of unintelligible words and chokes. Finally, Honoka reached a hand through the bars and she managed to mutter, “Yukiho…”

Yukiho pushed Eli to the side, running up and grabbing onto Honoka’s hand, “Onee-chan are you okay?” 

“I’m really sorry you had to see this,” Honoka stared at the ivy, her voice attempting to sound cheerful, “It’s pretty lame to see your sister being so rude after you haven’t seen each other, huh?” One of her eyes became black and her hand was shaking again, barely holding onto Yukiho’s, “I… I’m happy I got to see you again. And I’m sorry I hurt you.” Carefully, Honoka reached out both hands, clumsily wrapping a handkerchief around Yukiho’s palm. 

“And make sure to tell Mom you just fell down or something, you know how much she worries.” Honoka flashed a smile and Eli can’t help but think it looked like the setting sun. She pulled her hands back and Yukiho leaned forward, letting Honoka kiss her forehead. 

Yukiho turned around quickly, grabbing Eli’s hand and running. They headed towards town but by the time they got there they didn’t go towards the bakery. Eli was dragged around by the younger girl all around town until their run turned into a walk and they eventually stopped in an alleyway. 

They stood there in the dark. The sun had set and the moon shone between the clouds, just bright enough that Eli could see how puffy Yukiho’s eyes were. Enough so that they could sit there and Eli could hug her, apologizing over and over until the words felt empty. Enough so that they could avoid the crowds and travel the backroads to the bakery. Enough that on her way back to the mansion, Eli didn’t worry about walking through the woods. And enough that she could see the familiar figure waiting for her at the gate.

Nozomi stood, gate already open and hand outstretched. Eli blindly moved past it, holding onto the other girl instead. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders and let out a sigh, realizing just how cold she had been. 

They stayed like this for a few minutes, wordlessly embracing until Eli finally let go. She turned around, shutting the gate when something dawned on her. Looking back at Nozomi, she stared into golden eyes, bright and unwavering. They glowed in the darkness, dimly lighting up Nozomi’s face as the stared right back at Eli.

“Are you surprised?” her breath clouded up in the cold air, “I was the one that opened the gate earlier too. I’m glad you and the girl were able to get away.” 

Eli felt frozen, as if her blood had iced over in her veins. The blonde rubbed her arms, looking away as she mumbled, “Thanks… For helping us with the gate. But I can’t let you near it when you’re possessed. It’s too dangerous since you might escape.”

Nozomi laughed, it was fuller when she was possessed, filling up more space than her usual light giggles, “Me? Escape? No way. I would never leave. I don’t have anywhere to go, and besides…” she leaned in closer and Eli could feel her body heat hovering in front of her, “Why would I want to escape, when you’re here?”

Eli ignored the comment and quickly walked past Nozomi, heart wracked with guilt over what had happened. She wasn’t in the mood for any of Nozomi’s demons advances. She just wanted to be alone. 

Climbing up the stairs, Eli slammed the door to her room behind her. Sighing, she sunk down the ground with her back leaning against the door. Near her bed, she could see glass shattered around the floor. She already knew what it was. Getting up, Eli picked up the picture frame of her and Arisa as children, placing it back on the counter. She went to the closet and took out a broom and dustpan, sweeping up all the fragments of glass. 

Every inch of her body felt sore. So much had happened since that morning and Eli couldn’t even think about dinner. Her mind was drifting between Yukiho crying to Honoka holding onto the gate to Nozomi’s demon’s touch to memories of Arisa. Turning around, Eli buried her face into her pillow, closing her eyes and fading off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally updated!!! wow!!!! this ch i a lil longer so i hope thats some consolation lol..... so ive started college and its been a little hectic but worry not bc my sister usually makes sure i at least write more chs ;;;; anyway, i hope you like this ch and things are gonna relax a bit so dont worry :3c make sure to hmu at hb48.tumblr.com or leave a comment here!
> 
> happy halloween!!!!!


	8. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE A FINAL IN LIKE 2 HOURS

Sunlight hit Eli’s face and she sluggishly sat up. Dragging a hand down her face, she flung herself off her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She began brushing her teeth and looked out the window.

Cloudy.

Again.

Eli washed her face and traced the scar on her shoulder along with a fresh bruise across her midriff. Ever since the incident with Yukiho, Eli had barely left the mansion for the town - purposefully avoiding the bakery every time she did have to go out. Although it had been three months since moving here, she barely knew more about the demons than when she first arrived.

Sure she knew how they acted and how to keep them from hurting their hosts and each other, but she didn’t understand what their motivations were. The incident with Yukiho didn’t help either. Since then everything seemed like it was in a fog and Eli couldn’t concentrate on anything; her mind was basically mud.

Once dressed, she made sure she had her supplies before heading downstairs, praying that she could eat breakfast in peace. As she made her way into the kitchen, the air was filled with the smell of fresh bacon and eggs. Standing in front of the stove was Nico, making several omelets at a time. There was an new bandage on her hand and… was that a hickey?

Eli dismissed it and approached Nozomi who was preparing plates at the opposite counter. She was placing blueberries around some waffles covered in chocolate syrup. Blushing slightly, Eli put a hand on the other girl’s shoulder.

“Oh, Elicchi you’re up,” Nozomi smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was just, uh, wondering…” Eli looked away bashfully, extending a hand out to Nozomi, “If you know…”

“You’re going to have to speak up Elicchi, I can’t understand what you’re saying.” giggling, Nozomi looked at her expectantly.

“If, uh, anyone was going to eat that,” the blonde pointed at the waffles on the table sheepishly, “It looks really good.”

Grinning, Nozomi handed her the plate, “No, no one’s claimed it. I didn’t know you liked waffles so much Elicchi.”

“I actually really like chocolate,” Eli remarked as she went to the dining room, placing the waffles at her usual spot. She then went back to the kitchen and helped put down the utensils and other dishes. Soon everyone was ready for breakfast, with no possessions in sight. 

The day passed by idly, with barely any trouble besides Rin’s demon clawing up the couch and Umi’s demon trying to swim in the bathtub for the third time that week. Eli sat on her bed, staring down at her journal, the pages blank. After logging in the details for each demon and how best to deal with them, it became harder and harder to fill her journal with new findings. She had been stuck on this page for the last two weeks, and it just stared back at her mockingly. 

Closing it with a sigh, Eli laid down, thinking about taking a nap. She focused on how her sheets felt on her skin and began feelings her eyelids droop. Just as she felt herself nod off, Eli was jolted awake by a crashing sound downstairs. Jumping out of bed, she ran down to the second floor where it had come from.

One of the library doors was open, books fallen in front of the entrance. Stepping over them, Eli ducked around the fallen bookshelf. In the middle of the library was Honoka, fire lighting up her fingers in front of Umi and Kotori. While Umi seemed to be moments away from becoming possessed, the tell-tale orbs beginning to form around her pupils, Kotori was staring down Honoka’s demon. 

“Hey, hey girly, you better stand down before I hurt you,” Honoka smirked, “Maybe I should burn your hair ‘till it’s short, or maybe scar up your face.” 

Eli stepped in front of Kotori, shielding her with one hand, “Don’t you dare you filthy demon. I won’t let you lay a hand on her or Umi.” 

“Filthy demon? Excuse me, but I have a name,” Honoka scoffed, extinguishing the flames on her fingers and puffing out her chest, “I am Ferdinand, created by the fire from the depths of the Earth’s core. You mortals should be awed by my presence, nay you should be bowing before me!”

“Wait-” Eli took a step forward, “You were created by fire? I thought demons were only formed in hell.” 

Ferdinand scoffed, “You don’t even know that much about demons? It always amazes me how ignorant human beings are,” she turned on her heel, facing the other two, “Now then, where was I?”

Eli could feel her skin prickling, there was something about demons that she didn’t know. Something that her lineage of demon-hunting experts didn’t know. It was crucial that she learned what that was. But this demon wasn’t going to comply so easily at least with its two potential lackeys in the same room.

“Hey Honoka.” She turned back to Eli, brow raised exaggeratedly, “Does it really do you any good to only have two lackeys? Especially if one is always comatose and the other is afraid of it's own skin?” 

“Sadly this is all I can manage,” Ferdinand sighed, “Truly atrocious. Why do you bring up such an obvious point?”

“What would you say, if I perhaps, proposed to become of service to you?” Eli was using her best convincing voice, the one she used when the local men were resistant to be blessed using pink roses and lavender.

Scrunching up her face, Ferdinand seemed to be deep in thought, “What kind of service are you talking about human?”

Eli clenched her teeth, remembering what this demon, this monster, had done to Yukiho, “I… I propose that I help you. Become your partner. Wouldn’t it be to your advantage if you had a demon hunter on your side? It would make it all the more easier to turn the others into your lackeys.”

Kotori and Umi gave her shocked look behind Ferdinand, who began grinning, “Oh? And what’s in it for you?”

“My family isn’t my only reason for being involved in demons. As I grew to learn more about them, I became fascinated, almost enthralled. Serving you will allow me to observe and study the thing I am most interested in.” At this point Eli was lying through her teeth, but from the look on Ferdinand’s face she was buying it. 

“Well you certainly seem fascinated by a certain demon,” Ferdinand smirked, “Very well, I accept your proposition. However, we must discuss this somewhere private. I do not wish for these two mortals to see our agreement.” She made a sweeping hand gesture towards Umi and Kotori who stood dumbfounded by the exchange.

“I understand, let us go to my room. I will lead the way.” Eli began walking out the door, making a mental note to tell the other two about the situation once it was over. It would be disastrous if the others found out she had made a literal “deal with the devil.”

Checking over her shoulder to make sure Ferdinand was following her, Eli made sure no one else was on the third floor. After entering her room, Eli locked the door and made sure her window was shut. She didn’t need to jump out of it again.

“So what’s your proposition, human?” Ferdinand sat down at Eli’s desk as if the room was her own, examining her nails, “I am a very busy demon with many things to do.”

A click echoed through the room, Eli holding up her gun in front of Ferdinand’s face, “Sorry, but I don’t think there is going to be any kind of proposition. At least, none that will be in your favor.”

“What…” Ferdinand’s hand began to light up, “What in the name of HELL do you mean!? We were making a DEAL!”

“As if I would ever make a deal with a demon,” Eli focused the gun on Ferdinand’s forehead, “So you’re going to listen to what I have to say or else.”

“You wouldn’t dare hurt this human…” Sweat began to form on Ferdinand’s forehead, “You’re too much of a softie.”

“Watch me.” A soft click reverberated through the room as the safety was pulled back and the gun’s barrel moved down to aim straight at the demon’s midriff.

“A-Alright, alright, no reason to take any drastic action. I’ll let you off the hook this once,” Ferdinand extinguished the flames on her hand and leaned back in the chair, “So what do you want to know?”

Eli put the safety back on and stood in front of the demon, “Alright Hono- I mean, Ferdinand. What did you mean when you said that you were born from the Earth’s core? I thought all demons were spawned in hell.”

“Those are only some demons you idiot. I’m not like them as in I’m infinitely cooler and more attuned to the features of Earth and how humans work. I even understand this whole ‘gender’ thing you humans have going on,” Ferdinand puffed out her chest and smirked, “I’m what you humans would call a ‘male.’”

Rolling her eyes, Eli wondered if all demons were this arrogant. It then dawned on her that she had been thinking that Ferdinand was a girl this entire time. Frankly, she had always thought of the demons’ genders as the same as their hosts. Well that was flawed.

“Why did you and the other demons decide to possess these girls? Is there a reason? Why them?”

“Woah, woah, one question at a time please,” he put a hand on his chin, like he was deep in thought, “I decided to possess this one because she had a strong life essence. It was just what I needed to fuel my awesome power. I have no clue why the others are here; just that they make horrible minions!”

Eli grabbed her journal, writing down all this information that had never been taught to her. For a family of demon exterminators, they knew surprisingly little besides how to kill and communicate with them. They look for life essence in hosts, some are born from the Earth while others are from Hell,they don’t initially understand human behaviors… 

“I need you to tell me whatever you can about your history.” She looked up from her notes to see Ferdinand reel back in surprise.

“Uh, no thank you. This is only our first meeting and I’m a demon of class,” Ferdinand smirked and waved his hand, “Bye girly.” His eyes closed and Honoka’s body went slack for a moment before she was conscious again, rubbing the temples of her head.

“Eli-san? What am I doing in your room?” the redhead furrowed her brows in confusion and looked up, “Why do you look so angry?”

Sighing, Eli dragged her hands down her face, “It’s not your fault Honoka. You can go…” She sat on her bed as Honoka left the room, giving her a concerned look before shutting the door behind her. She was so close. There was so much more information she could have gotten out of Ferdinand. Eli’s body was boiling with frustration, furious at her family for not knowing anything, furious at herself for being so naive to think demons were simple. 

Now she needed to learn more. But where could she find the information? It was unlikely Ferdinand would open up to her again after the stunt she just pulled. Eli’s mind floated to the possibility of asking Nozomi’s demon but quickly discarded it. Who knows whether the demon would be straightforward with her or not. She needed a reliable source of information. A human input on an inhuman subject.

After an hour of brooding, Eli dragged herself off the bed. Splashing her face with some water, she left her room in search of Kotori and Umi. She still needed to explain to them what had happened. Before she met either of them, there was someone waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

“H-Hi Nico.” Eli nervously greeted the other girl who stood with her arms crossed, eyes boring holes through Eli’s skin.

“I heard what happened. Don’t trust Honoka to keep quiet about anything,” she began walking, looking behind her to make sure Eli was following, “You want to know more about demons right? How they work and what they’re like?”

Nodding, Eli blindly followed Nico down the hallways until they were in a small study. The walls were lined with bookshelves, most of the books caked in dust. Only the desk looked well kept, newspapers scattering over the surface and a pen sitting in an inkwell off to the side. There was an open first-aid kit on top of some of the papers and Eli noticed a few drops of blood scattered over the desk. 

“If you want to know about demons, this is where you should be looking.” Nico handed her a newspaper. On the cover was a photo of a large traditional styled building with three young women around Eli’s age posing in front of it. They were professionally dressed and the headline read, “Ground-breaking Paranormal Research at UTX Reveals Unfathomable Truths.” 

“UTX?” Eli looked up from the paper. Nico sat at the desk, fiddling around with the papers until she had about five of them neatly lined up in front of Eli. All of them featured UTX and the same three girls. 

“It’s a spiritual learning academy located in a city in this area,” Nico looked down at the papers, “These three are the star students, they’ve uncovered more about demons in the last three years than some people have in a lifetime. If you want to know about demons and how they work, they’re the ones you have to see.” 

Picking up one of the papers, Eli scanned over the article. It detailed how the group had found out that demons are not solely created in Hell like previously thought. Something she had never learned in all her years of training. 

“This is amazing information Nico but, how do you know this? Where did you get all these papers?”

“I have my siblings send them to me,” she crossed her arms and looked slightly proud, “I have my own hobbies too you know. I’ve always wanted to visit UTX but you can guess why I can’t.” Her gaze fell down to the first-aid kit but quickly stared back at Eli, “But you can. You can go and understand these things better than we ever could. I think you should make the trip to UTX.”

Eli felt all the frustration wash away from her. Suddenly a solution had appeared right before her, she couldn’t give up this chance. “Will you girls be okay?”

Nico rolled her eyes, “What do you think we’ve been doing all these years? The world doesn’t revolve around you Eli,” her expression softened and she smiled slightly, “We’ll be fine.”

“Thank you so much.” Running up, Eli gave Nico a bear hug before rushing out of the study. Slightly dazed, Nico rolled her eyes again, taking her pen and beginning to scribble over the newspapers.

-:-

It would take two days to reach the big city and then another half day to reach UTX which rested on the highest mountain in the area. Eli loaded the last of her things into the car and checked the time on her watch. It was still early in the morning and the sun was beginning to peek out from behind the trees of the forest. 

The morning air was biting cold and Eli tightened her scarf. It would be a long drive even in the car the mayor had generously given her. She had already said bye to the girls the night before and sitting in the front seat was a picnic basket full of food Nico had prepared. “Because I don’t trust you to feed yourself you workaholic,” was the reason she gave. Eli chuckled to herself and looked over her stuff one more time, making sure she had everything. Looking back at the house, she saw a figure lingering around the gate.

“If you stand there you’ll get a cold.” 

Nozomi smiled and looked at her through the bars of the gate, “Don’t worry, I don’t get sick very easily Elicchi. Besides, I have a blanket.” She stood in her pajamas, a large plush blanket engulfing her entire body except for her head. Eli couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

“Thank you for seeing me off,” Eli pulled the hood of her coat down, “You didn’t have to.”

“I thought you might be lonely leaving by yourself,” Nozomi reached a hand out to touch the blonde’s face, “Hehe, Elicchi your ears are all red from the cold.” 

“You should be the one to talk. You nose looks like a tomato, if you’re not careful Maki will eat it,” grinning, Eli got closer to the gate so the two were separated only by the bars of the gate, “Well, I guess I would have been a little lonely leaving by myself.” 

Grinning, Nozomi leaned forward as much as she could, turning Eli’s head to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. The spot where Nozomi’s lips touched burned like fire on her icy skin and Eli thanked God that her face was already red or else her blush would have been too noticeable.

“Stay safe okay? We’ll all be waiting here for you.” 

Eli nodded, “I will,” she smiled, taking Nozomi’s hand and giving it a kiss before going into the car. She waved back at Nozomi until she had faded into the distance. Even in the car Eli’s cheek still burned and her hand kept idly brushing over the same spot over and over. It may be a long way to UTX, but that kiss had just given Eli enough energy she could have run all the way home. 

In that moment, it was as if nothing could get in Eli’s way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long time no update orz but!!!!! we're finally moving along w the plot yaaaaaay there was a lot of dialogue this ch and it's gonna be kinda like that for a while unfortunately but dont worry there will be action soon after ;o enjoy the (very) short UTX arc starting next ch and as always leave comments below and give me some kudos bc it motivates me keep writing if i know ppl enjoy my fic
> 
> hmu at hb48.tumblr.com and as a thank you for waiting so long for the update check out the designs for honoka, umi, and kotori's demons! found at the link below and designed by my awesome sister!!!!!!  
> http://godbear999.tumblr.com/post/132244788262/honoka-umi-and-kotoris-demons-for-me-and-my


	9. UTX (Pt 1)

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Eli yawned as the scenery stretched out before her. Just across the hill she could see the outline of the city, buildings standing in stark contrast to the mountain looming behind it. After two days of wilderness, it was refreshing to see some signs of life. 

There was a tollbooth stationed outside the city where a man sat falling asleep himself. As the car approached, he bolted right up and quickly shook himself awake before asking Eli for her travel papers. Once the bar was lifted, Eli was able to drive into the city. It was vastly different from Otonokizaka, the buildings taller and more plentiful with people spilling into the streets. While you almost never saw a car on the streets of Otonokizaka, here cars moved everywhere and people casually moved alongside them. 

Parking in front of a small cafe, Eli figured she could use some breakfast before moving up to the mountains. The interior was simple and the soft smell of coffee lingered in the air. It wasn’t long until Eli was seated with some crepes and a hot cup of coffee in front of her. While she ate, she took out a map of the area given to her by the tollbooth attendant. To reach the mountain would require going through the north part of town and she should be able to arrive at UTX by late afternoon. Putting away the map, Eli soon finished her breakfast and after paying, began the last leg of her trip.

The road on the mountain was wide enough and comfortably flat. It was a blessing compared to the dirt roads back in Eli’s hometown, where a wrong turn could mean a flat tire in the middle of the forest. Eli could watch the city grow further and further away as she climbed up the mountain, only taking breaks for lunch and to stretch her sore arms. The fall air bit at her face when she reached UTX. The sun was just beginning to set and the temperature was already rapidly decreasing. Wrapping her coat around herself, Eli left her car and went to large gates barring the academy to the public, giving it two strong knocks.

After a minute or two with no response, Eli was about to try again when a soft voice came from behind the wall.

“Excuse me, who are you and what is your business here?” 

“My name is Eli Ayase, I am here to learn about the true nature of demons from Otonokizaka. There are the lives of eight people who rely on me to obtain this knowledge. Please, let me enter and speak to your three best students here.”

There was a soft murmur of voices on the other side, “Alright. Please pass your travel papers into the slot to your left.” 

Eli did as she was told and after a few seconds there was a click and the gate opened with a low moan. Standing on the other side was a girl dressed in traditional garb for the area (Nozomi called it a “kimono”), holding her travel papers. “Follow me, Miss Ayase. And please, remove your shoes. We will move your belongings and vehicles to appropriate areas.”

The two walked down the long corridors, Eli awkwardly holding her boots in her arms as she almost towered over the girl in front of her. It was as if they were going through a maze, sliding doors open here, moving into another corridor there, until finally they reached an open area in what Eli presumed to be the middle of the building. There stood the three girls from the front of all those newspapers.

“Tsubasa-sama, Erena-sama, Anju-sama,” the girl greeted the three of them, “This is Eli Ayase. She came to learn about demons from Otonokizaka and requested that she see you.”

“Ayase, huh,” Tsubasa put down the scrolls she was examining and walked up to Eli with a friendly smile, “The Ayase’s are a prestigious family from the north country. It’s an honor to have you here, Miss Eli. Akane, make sure she has the best accommodations we can give her.” The girl nodded and left the area, leaving the four of them alone.

“I am also honored that you so readily accepted me into your training grounds,” Eli took a deep bow and crouched down onto one knee, “Please take my deepest and humblest gratitude.” She placed a kiss on Tsubasa’s hand, eliciting a giggle from the other girl.

“Your manners are as exemplary as rumored. Come, let’s go somewhere more private,” Tsubasa motioned to the brunette on her left, “Anju will take you there first.” 

The brunette, apparently named Anju, approached Eli with one hand twirling a strand of hair. Somewhere in the back of her mind Eli thought about Nozomi and followed her host through the wooden hallways. They soon entered a large room, a long table lined one side and mats were neatly stacked in a corner. Anju lit a lantern and gingerly hung it on the wall, filling the room with light. Take three mats, she placed them behind the table. Eli followed suit and grabbed a mat for herself, sitting opposite of Anju who sat on the left mat. She leaned an elbow on the table, smiling softly as she twirled a strand of wavy hair around her index finger.

“I’m surprised you came out all the way from your home to Otonokizaka and then out to UTX. The journey must have been exhausting.” Anju’s voice broke the silence. 

“It was nothing. I was summoned there for a job and I am here to help those girls,” Eli rested her arms on the table, “I’ve realized there is much my training hasn’t taught me.”

“Heh~” Anju smiled, idly tracing small circles near Eli’s hands, “How admirable. It’s a shame you aren’t here to be a student. You would catch up to me in no time.”

“No, no. Your skill is far beyond mine Miss Anju, I still have much to learn. But I am both grateful and honored for the compliment.”

The door slid open as Anju let out another giggle. Tsubasa sat on the middle cushion while Erena took the one to her right. Tenting her fingers, Tsubasa gazed right at the blonde. Eli took in a deep breath, the atmosphere was completely different from outside.

“Now Miss Eli, I understand you come from Otonokizaka. The area is well known to be a hot spot of demon activity. There have been over 100 cases of demonic possession in the last 500 years alone. I have also heard of the situation there currently. However,” Tsubasa straightened up and rested her hands in her lap, “I am afraid there is nothing here at UTX we can do.”

“There is. I want to know everything there is to know about the nature of demons. My education was always about elimination. Extermination. Because of it, I do not- I cannot understand them. I came here to try to learn that. Please,” Eli bowed her head so low it almost touched the table, “Teach me.”

“Very well,” Tsubasa smiled, “Raise you head, Miss Eli. We will gladly teach you everything we can. Give us a few days and we will give you as much information as you need. In exchange, please accept our hospitality. Akane, the girl from earlier, will show you to your room. Dinner will be served to you shortly.” 

Eli rose, bowing deeply in thanks before leaving with Akane. She was taken to a room in a nearby hallway with a small table in the middle and her luggage on one side. “I will bring you your dinner in here,” Akane turned to face her, “Afterwards you can use a private bath. We will provide you a pair of clothes.” 

“Thank you Miss Akane,” Eli smiled, trying to look inviting. ‘Would you perhaps, like to join me for dinner?” The other girl’s face grew pink as she turned away, muttering a small “no thank you,” before hurrying out of the room. 

Perhaps she was intimidating? Eli sulked and began to organize her belongings. Opening her bag she was surprised to find a bulky package inside. Opening it up there was a small metal tin, gloves, a scarf, body tape, lotion, and an assortment of snacks inside. Attached to the tin was a note that read, “We packed some gifts for you Elicchi. Make sure to eat these after dinner~ - Nozomi.” Eli opened the tin and found a variety of chocolate chip cookies. Taped onto the inside was a note written by Nico that simply said, “I made these.” 

Eli couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. She put away all the gifts back inside her bag when the door slid open. A different girl brought in a tray full of food and bowed before exiting. It hadn’t occurred to Eli just how hungry she had been and the tray was soon completely empty. Sighing contently, Eli turned her attention to Nico’s cookies. Not only was she talented at cooking she was an excellent baker as well. Eli felt a little jealous since her own cooking was… alright. Not bad of course but nothing to write home about either, something Arisa would always make fun of her for.

Poking her head out of her room, Eli looked around the hallway when Tsubasa suddenly came from behind the corner. “You can just leave your tray in your room. Take a change of clothes and I’ll show you to one of our private baths.” Eli nodded, grabbing her nightgown and following the shorter girl. The bath was already prepared when Eli got there and she was soon settled down inside the tub. 

Eli ran her hand across the healing scratches that lined up her arms. Rin’s demon has been warming up to her but handling it was like working with a wild animal. It didn’t care whether Eli’s arms suffered as long as it could take whatever food was in her hands. There was also a large bruise across her stomach from Umi’s demon throwing her down the stairs. Apparently it did not appreciate Eli trying to pull its host’s head out of the bathtub so she wouldn’t drown. Thankfully, Eli’s face had been spared from a lot of damage except for a cut thanks to Nico’s demon. Although vanity was a sin, it was always good to look presentable. 

The bath seemed almost too short even if by the time she was out, the water had gone cold. Eli quickly got dressed, throwing a towel over her shoulders and draping her blazer over her arm. Just a dress shirt should be fine until bed. Maybe the bath had relaxed her a little too much, Eli felt all the energy drain out of her as she made the walk to her room. Looking outside, she saw the first few snowflakes falls down and dust the grass. It was the end of fall but the mountains seemed to think it was the middle of winter. Continuing down the hall, Eli spotted Tsubasa gazing out at the snow with a pipe in hand. 

“Hello Miss Eli, did you enjoy your bath?” Eli nodded a reply and Tsubasa smiled, “I assume you do not smoke. I know the Ayase family values healthiness in both the mind and body.”

“You would be correct. I’m surprised that you smoke though, Miss Tsubasa.”

“Please, just call me Tsubasa,” she lit the pipe, opening the glass door just enough to let the smoke escape in the snow, “I guess you could call it a nervous habit? The situation in Otonokizaka is certainly very… Delicate.”

Eli can’t think of a reply and makes an agreeing hum, staring outside. The snow is falling softly but the cold bites into her skin from the open glass. It reminds her of home. “Well I shouldn’t keep you here in the cold,” Tsubasa breaks the silence, “Good night Miss Eli.”

“Good night, Tsubasa.” Eli bows and walks the little distance back to her room. Her food had been removed and the futon laid out. There was a tea pot and cup on the table and Eli gladly poured herself some. She ended up finishing the rest of Nico’s cookies and decided to sleep without changing into her nightgown. Sleep overcomes her like a storm and before she knows it, the sun is shining into her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horray for a-rise! \o/ not much happening this ch and not a lot of info but dw we'll get to it ;) as always hmu at hb48.tumblr.com and tell me what you like or dont like (and i promise to try and update more orz)


	10. UTX (Pt 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new years eve/new years!!!!!!

“Miss Eli, do you have a moment?” 

Eli looked up from her book. Her hair tied up in a messy bun, a candle providing some extra light. She had been in here since breakfast, pouring over as much information as she could. Much of the information was repeated but each account was just different enough to warrant looking through them all. Tsubasa stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

“Ah- sorry I’ve been reading,” Eli rubbed the bridge of her nose, blinking a few times, “What is it?”

“Would you like to take a break? Perhaps have some lunch and partake in a little spar with Erena?” Tsubasa smiled, “I promise she’s strong enough to hold her own against you.”

Looking at the books around her, Eli figured she could use some rest. “Sure, that sounds lovely. Just let me put these away and I’ll join you.”

“Come to the courtyard when you’re ready.” Tsubasa nodded and left down the hall. Eli stacked up the books and went back to her room. Changing into a clean shirt, she made her way out to the courtyard where Tsubasa was sitting in the grass with Erena and Anju. The snow was already cleared away and a blanket spread out. Eli sat across from them and pulled her coat around her body. Lunch went by without incident, a simple arrangement of sandwiches and some tangerines that wound up being more filling than expected. With the sun shining down on them, Eli could feel her eyelids becoming heavy. 

“So is there anything you would like to ask us about demons Miss Eli?” Anju spoke out and brought Eli’s attention back to the real world. 

She coughed into the back of her hand, taking a moment to gather herself before replying. “Yes, actually. I understand from my reading that demons are not solely from Hell. Is there anything else you know?”

“If some-- only a minority mind you-- are not born in Hell, where do you think they come from Miss Eli?” Anju spoke out first, leaning forward with her eyes focused in on the blonde.

Eli leaned back on her hands, looking around the courtyard, “Well demons cannot come from heaven so I guess the only thing that’s left is… the Earth?”

“Correct,” Erena took over the conversation, “As far as we know there is no reason why demons are born on Earth. But there is something fundamentally different about them.” She offered Eli a cup of tea and continued talking as she poured, “In our research we have been able to communicate with some demons-- enough to know whether they’re born of Earth or in Hell-- and the Earth born ones are sometimes… More benevolent than their counterparts.”

“While we don’t fully understand why they’re like this, it definitely means there’s something different about them,” Tsubasa continued on like clockwork, “But we must also consider that we just haven’t met any benevolent hell-born demons. It truly is a fascinating thing.” She smiled into her hand, throwing glances at Eli. The blonde returned the gaze, sipping at her tea as she mulled over the information. During demon extermination it never really mattered whether the demon was benevolent or not but she did remember learning that a few demons actually went to limbo instead of straight to hell after being exorcised. 

The conversation soon steered away from the talk of demons to family and friends. A relaxed atmosphere settled around them again and Eli started peeling another tangerine. Soon, Erena stretched before standing up and offering a hand to Eli, “Would you like to spar? I know the Ayase family keeps in top shape but I doubt you’ve been able to have a serious work out with all the demon business in Otonokizaka.” 

Eli took her hand and stood up, the touch charged her body like electricity. Before she could think she was already down to her undershirt despite the chill in the air and standing barefoot on a mat in the center of the garden. Erena was across from her, in a tank top and sweats. Her feet were taped up and so were her forearms. There was a scar across her chest that poked out from under her clothes and up towards her collarbone. Eli tugged her sleeves up to her elbows and shook with anticipation. Tsubasa and Anju watched them from the site of their picnic, Tsubasa yelling “Begin!” in a voice shockingly loud for her small frame.

It was a split second before Erena’s palm was already coming for Eli’s face and the blonde narrowly dodged in time. Dropping down to the ground, Eli reached for a kick to the back of her opponent’s legs but Erena expertly jumped over the attack and flipped away. Cursing her lack of practice, Eli rushed forward intending to land a square hit. Erena easily ducked the blonde’s punch and grabbed onto her waist, pinning her down in one swift movement.

“One point.” She smirked as Eli gasped for the air that had been knocked out of her. Eli shook her limbs as she stood up, suddenly feeling more loose and fluid. She took a starting stance with renewed vigor, ignoring the throbbing at her side. This time, she managed to stop her hand mere centimeters away from Erena’s nose, muttering a breathless “one point” through her grin. They went back and forth at this for an hour, maybe more. For a while Eli wasn’t able to feel the cold air, and everything around her was warm. Finally they finished with a score of 10-8. They were sweating profusely and Eli felt every muscle in her body screaming but she was grinning and so was Erena.

“As expected of you Miss Ayase,” Erena said between pants, offering her hand to Eli, “You truly are powerful. If you were still practicing regularly, there would have been no way I could have won.”

Eli shook the other’s hand, wiping away the sweat from her forehead, “Thank you Miss Erena, though you flatter me a bit too much. It has been a long time since I felt that satisfied.” They smiled at each other as Tsubasa and Anju finally approached them. Anju rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, throwing a lopsided grin at Eli before she threw her arms around Erena, mumbling “My hero~” before pulling away and making a snide comment about how sweaty her friend was. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Erena go all out like that,” Tsubasa gave Eli a friendly pat on the back, “I have trouble keeping up with her and Anju’s stopped such strenuous physical training years ago.” She offered a towel to Eli; since when did she have that? Eli took it anyway, wiping away the sweat from her face. 

Her and Erena soon went back inside, splitting up near Eli’s room. When she got to the bath it has already been prepared and she washes off quickly. Sinking into the water, Eli let herself become lost in the comfort of the heat surrounding her. If what the others were saying was true, there has to be something that makes the demons more or less benevolent. Maybe it really was just the circumstances of their birth. Or would it be more of a creation? There was so much she didn’t know and being here had already taught her something new. She rubbed some water off her arm and traced a fading scratch up from her wrist to her elbow. There’s a bite mark right next to it, the result of an unfortunate encounter with Hanayo’s demon who seemed convinced that Eli was an oversized doughnut. 

After her bath Eli returned to the books, pouring over them and taking notes any chance she had. Before she knew it, the air around her had chilled and there was no longer any sunlight coming in from the single window in the room. Grabbing a few books, she went back to her room, reading through dinner and munching on some snacks the others had packed for her. This one was undoubtedly packed by Honoka, a single cream-filled bun with a smiley face drawn in marker on the package. Chuckling to herself, Eli nibbled on it absent mindedly as she poured over accounts of possession and communication with these powerful, frightening beings. Some books even told of demons having physical forms, brought out by botched exorcisms or quick escapes from their hosts. 

Stretching out her limbs Eli threw on a coat, figuring that she should get a breath of fresh air. Walking out into the hall she saw someone standing in the courtyard, a small stream of smoke floating into the night sky. The wind bit through Eli’s coat and sunk into her skin, dramatically different from the warm sun earlier in the day. 

“What are you doing out here, Tsubasa?” 

“I could ask you the same thing Miss Eli,” the other girl smiled, putting out her pipe and hiding it back in her jacket, “I assumed you’d be inside all night researching.”

“I was researching, but a break every now and then isn’t harmful,” Eli took a seat next to Tsubasa who had perched herself on a rock. Their breath came out in white puffs, barely noticeable in the light of the lanterns. 

“Indeed,” Tsubasa smiled, scooting a bit closer to the blonde, “It’s important to rest both your mind and body. I should know, I’ve overworked myself countless times when I was still a student. Well, I guess I still am.” She laughed to herself and leaned onto Eli’s shoulder. Eli didn’t budge, melting into the feeling of Tsubasa’s body next to her’s. They sat like that for a while, watching the shadows of people inside the building move along as they got ready for bed. Somewhere during that time their fingers brushed against each other and neither bothered separating them. 

Eli wasn’t sure when it happened. Or why for that matter. Just that soon her and Tsubasa are melded together, lips crashing into one another. It’s hot and the entire space around them is glowing. Tsubasa’s breath lingers on Eli’s skin, lips tracing along each other. It was chaotic and sudden, but there was something calming about it, clearing Eli’s mind of demons and possessed girls and for a second Nozomi standing at the gate on a frost-bitten morning appears behind closed lids. 

They break the kiss, resting their foreheads on each other, Tsubasa’s presence still hung on Eli’s skin like a burn. Her face was flushed and the space between them blurred by their breath coming out as big white clouds. Tsubasa looked into the blonde’s eyes and Eli looked back. Her eyes were like emeralds, framed by her pale skin. Eli thought about Nozomi’s eyes and how they looked like the ocean. 

Suddenly Tsubasa snorted, throwing her head back with a big, hearty laugh. She grabbed at her stomach, trying not to double over with laughter and Eli was left shocked, dazed. When she’s finally composed herself, Tsubasa leaned back on her hands, “I-- I’m sorry for laughing so rudely Miss Eli. But I just don’t fancy you that way and I assume you don’t either. My, I don’t know what took over me.”

“Me either…” Eli trailed off, unsure of what to say. What could she say? She did it just because it felt right? Because the night air was getting to her? Because in that moment, that single moment, she desperately wanted to touch someone? Nozomi’s face crashed into her brain like a ton of bricks, eyes like the ocean and body like waves and swells. Eli was left wondering what it would have been like to kiss Nozomi like that. The cold biting into their skin and breath pooled around each other, lips lingering for just a second longer than they need to. Her face went hot and she heard Tsubasa laughing somewhere distant even though they’re right next to each other.

“I guess it was just in the heat of the moment,” Tsubasa smiled, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them, “I understand. Though if you have feelings for someone Miss Eli, it really is best to tell them right away. I doubt they don’t return your feelings, you’re quite the charmer.” 

“Th-Thank you,” Eli hid her face behind her hands. Tsubasa’s eyes reminded her too much of Nozomi’s and the blonde couldn’t look her in the face anymore. She laughed again and pushed herself off the rock, saying something about getting plenty of rest before Eli’s trip back when she walked back inside. Out of the corner of her eye, Eli saw Tsubasa’s silhouette tilt her head upward and kiss someone. It looked like Erena. The blonde stared at the grass and the touched the places where Tsubasa was. Where heat still lingered, stubborn and unmoving. 

She wished it had been Nozomi. 

-:-

Eli loaded the last bag into her trunk. Tsubasa and the others had come to say goodbye even though the sun had barely started peeking out behind the far off hills. Anju stepped forward and gave the blonde a bag tied with a ribbon on top. Eli put it in the backseat and thanked them for the gift and their hospitality. She spared a glance at Tsubasa and the shorter girl smiled back, no trace of the night before showing on her face. Taking a step forward, Eli went down on one knee, kissing each of their hands in respect. They bowed in return and then Eli was off, headed back down the mountain pondering whether she should get a motel in the city or sleep in the forest. 

More than anything she wanted to be back in that mansion. To tell the others what she’s learned and try out some new demon quelling techniques she developed. Maybe she should buy them all gifts on her way back. With a new goal in mind, she went into town and found an affordable motel to check into. She spent the next half of the day finding things to bring back. An assortment of pastries for Honoka, a glass ornament of a sparrow for Kotori, a new metronome for Maki since her old one was falling apart… 

Before retiring to her motel room, Eli payed a visit to the largest church in the city. The priest gladly invited her in and blessed a large amount of holy water for her. Eli lugged it back to the car and emptied out her old vials, replacing the old water with the new. In her room, she took a shower, hot enough to leave her skin radiating pink when she got out. The motel had heating-- thank God-- and Eli leisurely toweled off her hair as she made sure her guns were working properly. Her tranquilizer ran smoothly and her pistol seemed fine, though she didn’t need the latter much. It was filled with blanks anyway. 

Another morning came and with it another day of travelling. This time Eli didn’t bother to stop in a village and look for somewhere to sleep. She flattened the front seat and used the car as a bed, throwing her coat over herself as a makeshift blanket. When she woke up the next morning it was raining, little droplets rapidly coming down like bullets. Checking her watch Eli saw it was only 7 am. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, the blonde shivered with the cold and quickly put her coat back on. Rummaging through her backpack, she found a map and headed towards the nearest village. Eli stopped at a small inn for breakfast, leaving within the hour with a steaming hot coffee in one hand. She drank it as she drove, feeling it scald her tongue and radiate heat through her entire body. 

Before she knew it, it had stopped raining. Though the clouds were still out at least Eli didn’t have to worry about dragging her stuff through the rain. When she pulled up to the front of the mansion she didn’t see anyone. Checking her watch it was late in the afternoon, they should be preparing dinner right about now. Eli unloaded her things, unlocking the gate carefully and sliding it open. At that moment, something jumped out at her, knocking the blonde back dangerously close to a puddle. Groaning, Eli cursed whoever had made brick so hard as she looked at what tackled her. Rin licked her face and Eli was stunned for a moment before realizing, oh right she’s possessed.

The blonde scratched under the demon’s chin where she knew it liked it and gently pushed it off of her. Rin’s demon sat in attention, watching carefully as Eli slung her bags over her shoulder, downing the last of her coffee which had long since gone cold. It followed the blonde into the mansion, close to her heel and sniffing at her boots. 

As soon as she entered through the doors Eli was surrounded by a group of children. Well, it wouldn’t be fair to call them “children,” considering they were only a year or two younger than her. Through hasty greetings and welcomes Eli saw someone from up on the stairs. Her eyes meet the ocean and all too suddenly, Eli was out of breath.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back, Elicchi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was the first time i had written a good kiss scene in a while so i hope this is alright!!!! ;o; so now that eli is back the plot can continue moving on along with her growing gay ass feelings lmao i hope you liked this ch it was so much fun to write that i finished most of it yesterday lol........ hmu at hb48.tumblr.com and leave kudos/comments!!!!! happy 2016!!!


	11. Not All Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE A MIDTERM IN 3 HOURS

It was completely winter. There was snow almost every night and Eli busied herself shoveling it away from the walkway every morning. The cold would bite into her skin and lodge itself in there until she came back inside. They had a little ritual going. Eli always woke up in the early morning this time of year, clearing snow and trudging through the town to grab fresh bread at Honoka’s family’s shop. She could finally look at Yukiho again, a silent agreement between the two not to mention what happened before. Whenever Eli got back breakfast was usually ready and a cup of hot chocolate already at her seat. It didn’t take long for Nozomi to realize Eli preferred the sweet drink to coffee.

Eli sat down, taking a sip of her drink, sighing contently into the cup. The sun was out today and the snow glittered and lit up the inside of the mansion. Everyone was soon gathered at the table, with no demons in sight. Over the last few weeks, Eli had become more acquainted with the demons, learning their names and attempting to understand their behavior. If what she learned at UTX was right, the girls’ demons had the chance to be benevolent.

Around noon, Eli heard the distinct crunching of fresh snow from outside her bedroom window. Looking out she could see Rin and Hanayo, building what seemed to be a snowman… Wait were those cat ears and a paw? Eli guessed that it was a snow-cat now. 

Smiling to herself, she watched the two run around the snow, Maki standing against the tree. Rin called out asking her to join them and when Maki refused, the redhead was promptly hit with the a snowball. That set her off and soon she joined in the mini-snowball fight. Eli couldn’t help but laugh when she saw them, especially when Rin did a flip to avoid a snowball and ended up face-first in her snow-cat. 

Soon Maki went back inside, probably tired from running around so much. Rin and Hanayo were just sitting underneath the tree, Eli couldn’t hear them talk so she assumed they were whispering or just content with silence. Then she spotted the all too familiar writhe and curl of Rin’s body before it went slack, propping itself up on all fours. The blonde had begun to feel more relaxed around Rin’s demon, it was like a house cat who didn’t know how dangerous it was. So instead of sprinting downstairs to get rid of it, Eli decided to observe it - ready to jump into action at any sign of trouble. 

Expecting its usual prowling behavior, Eli sat at her windowsill with pen and journal in her lap. Rin’s demon tilted its head to one side, sniffing Hanayo a few times before sitting in front of her. The brunette nervously stretched a hand out, patting the demon’s head as it leaned into her touch. It then began circling around Hanayo, watching her with bright chartreuse eyes. Hanayo averted its gaze, obviously unsettled when suddenly she stiffened up.

Alarmed, Eli almost dropped her things when she saw the familiar sluggish movements of Hanayo’s demon struggle to prop up the girl’s body against the tree. Flipping through her notes, Eli found her pages for this demon with “Glutter” scrawled across the top. She didn’t quite understand the logistics of demon names but Glutter was pretty fitting nonetheless. Ready to run downstairs, Eli stopped in the middle of putting her coat on when she saw Rin’s demon coming closer to Glutter.

For its part, Glutter didn’t do much, just lean forward and give Rin’s demon a firm pat on the head. And for the first time, Eli heard the cat demon mewl. It sounded so foreign coming from something that tried to kill her on her first day here. But there it was, Rin’s demon - claws and fangs and all - settling into Glutter’s lap and gently bumping the bottom of the other demon’s chin. Glutter however, was looking for something to eat and immediately grabbed a large handful of snow. Before it could actually eat its meal, Rin’s demon swatted the mass out of its hand and meowed in protest. This process repeated for a while and Eli was entranced. She had never seen the demons being so… friendly. 

Rin’s demon eventually climbed on Glutter’s back, using it as a stool to reach up into the tree. It swatted a branch off and clung onto the other demon’s back, pushing the branch towards it. Glutter looked over the branch, contemplating whether it was really healthier than the snow when Eli finally went downstairs and out to the pair. Both noticed Eli’s presence right away and Glutter dropped the stick, managing to get on its feet with Rin’s demon still clinging to its back.

“Hey, do you have anythin’ for me to eat?” It drawled, stretching out each word as if it was a bother to even move its mouth, “Make sure to have somethin’ for Furball too.”

“Yeah, we have stuff to eat. And who’s ‘Furball’?” Eli leading the duo inside towards the kitchen.

Glutter jerked its head back to motion towards Rin’s demon still clinging onto its back. Eli really didn’t understand demon names at all. 

While Eli began to make a sandwich, Glutter snacked on what was lying around, including trying to take a bite from a wooden spoon. As soon as it brought the spoon to its mouth, Furball began meowing loudly and it didn’t stop until Glutter put away the utensil. When Eli was done with the sandwich, she slid it over to Glutter who began devouring it right away. Furball just climbed around its companion, somehow snaking its way into the other demon’s lap. There it sat, head resting on the table and crumbs getting in its hair. As Eli passed Glutter another plate, she watched Furball purr contently whenever Glutter’s hand lazily gave it a pat. 

Not having anything to write on, Eli reached for a pen left on the counter for grocery lists and rolled up her sleeve, scribbling notes onto her arm. It was fascinating seeing demons, evil creatures who sought to bring danger on humans, sitting together with one eating pancakes and the other acting like its pet. Occasionally, Glutter would even place a bit of pancake in front of Furball which the later would lap up quickly before resting its head on the table again. 

The fact that Glutter would let anyone even look at their food was strange enough, let alone the fact that it would willingly share its meal. To add to the phenomenon, it was as if Glutter appeared on cue after Rin was possessed by Furball. Eli had never noticed a pattern like that before, maybe if she looked through her notes again…

“Huh?” Eli looked up from her arm notes to see Rin’s eyes had gone back to normal and the girl sat up, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“Ah, Furball’s gone,” Rin almost jumped onto the table in surprise as Glutter spoke up behind her, “No reason to be here… food’s gone too…” 

Glutter let out a sigh before relaxing its body, giving it a few shakes before Hanayo’s eyes were wide open. The brunette almost dropped the now empty plate of pancakes when she came to her senses and quickly placed them on the table. Wrapping her hands around Rin’s waist, Hanayo rested her head on her friend’s back.

“Ugh, I can’t eat another bite…” 

“That big loaf probably ate too much again! The jerk!” Rin huffed, getting off Hanayo’s lap and easily carrying the girl on her back, “I’ll take you to your room Kayochin.”

“It’s ‘oaf’ Rin-chan…” Hanayo mumbled into Rin’s back as she was whisked out of the kitchen. 

Now it looked like Glutter had forced itself back inside Hanayo’s body when Furball disappeared. Usually Hanayo was exhausted and fatigued after Glutter took over, but it usually wasn’t as much as just now. Maybe it has something to do with what just happened? 

Eli tossed the dishes into the sink, making a mental note to do them later as she ran back upstairs, anxious to transcribe her arm notes into her journal. She was learning more about the demons every day and this was an important piece of information. Because if possessing and reclaiming a body wasn’t as random as they thought then maybe…

-:-

“Eli you can’t possible hole yourself up in your room forever.” 

Nico stood impatiently outside of the blonde’s door, tapping her foot on the ground emphasize how childish Eli was being right now. She had been going on about some “grand new discovery” over lunch and Nico could swear she was going to start making out with Nozomi over the table she looked so giddy. Now, with dinner almost ready, Eli stubbornly refused to leave her room and insisted Nico just “brought it up” or “wait just another half hour.”

“It won’t take very long I swear! And if I’m not done, what’s the harm in me missing dinner just once?” Eli spoke up, shuffling around some papers, “I’m sure the others won’t mind.”

“Yeah but I, the one who made this amazing dinner, will mind,” Nico rested her hands firmly on her hips, “Dinner is meant to be eaten together so get out here this instant!”

There was silence on the other end of the wooden door before a soft click reverberated in the halls. Eli nudged the door open, hair pulled back into a messy bun and bangs carelessly kept back with a headband. Strands of blonde fell on her forehead and framed her face, accentuating clear blue eyes. Combine that with Eli’s rolled up sleeves and Nico could understand what her best friend saw in this giant.

“Alright, I’ll go…” Eli was pouting like a child and Nico resisted the urge to punch the taller girl in the gut. They went downstairs, Nico careful not to trip on any steps. 

Dinner was simple enough and as soon as it was over, Eli was in a rush to get back to work. That is, until she caught sight of amber eyes surrounded by circles from across the room. Umi’s demon ran off down the hall, probably towards the bathroom. Going after it, Eli knew she had some time before it could fill up the tub enough to dunk it’s host’s head underwater. Fitting enough for its love of water, Ferdinand had told her the demon’s name was Aquanine. 

By the time Eli got to the bathroom, Aquanine had filled the tub about halfway. As soon as the demon saw Eli, it attempted to lean over the tub and submerge its head immediately. The blonde shot her arm forwards and grabbed its collar just inches before Aquanine’s face hit the water. Its eyes were wide with fright, visibly shaking and breath uneven. 

“D-Don’t hurt me… please…” Aquanine stuttered out, mist pooling around its mouth in thick waves. 

Eli waved away the gathering vapor and began to drag Aquanine out of the bathroom, “I told you, I don’t want to hurt you. I just don’t want you to hurt your host, and almost drowning her is, in fact, hurting.” 

“I-I didn’t know - It's just that -” Aquanine rubbed its hands together, just like how Umi did when she was nervous, “I’m sorry… don’t hurt me…”

Sighing, Eli resigned herself to dragging the demon across the floor though she knew Umi would be aghast to find her pants messy later. Aquanine wasn’t like the others - it seemed to want nothing more than rest in the water away from everything that scared it which was, well, everything. Even then, “resting in the water” meant dunking Umi’s head underwater for unknown periods of time which Eli really couldn’t let it do. 

Walking through the halls, Eli could hear the faint sound of Maki’s piano playing. Suddenly, it became so much easier to drag Aquanine. Looking down, the demon’s eyes were wide and for once, its body wasn’t a ball of nerves. Hands limp, it stared off into space in the direction of the music. 

“What is… What is this sound?” its voice was barely above a whisper, “It’s… not scary. It’s not scary at all.”

“It’s music,” Eli loosened her grip on its shirt, “Do you like it?”

Aquanine nodded, no sign of sprinting away like it normally did. Eli let go of the demon, watching it sit in place listening to the sound of the keys reverberating through the hallway. After a minute of deliberation, the blonde motioned for Aquanine to follow her. It obeyed, following Eli right at her heel until they reached the foyer. Maki was sitting next to Nico, playing while the older girl leaned on her shoulder and sometimes the music would fumble as the two of them fought back giggles and brush against each other. Aquanine sat next to the doorframe out in the hall, knees up to its chest and eyes half open. It was the most vulnerable thing Eli had seen since she found a baby fox in the woods, scared to death but still reaching for Eli’s hands. 

“Can you wait here?” 

She expected some protest, usually the demon would be frightened near death at the thought of being alone but this time it just nodded. Eli quickly went upstairs, grabbing a case from underneath her bed. She had only played it a few times since she arrived so her skills weren’t nearly as good as they used to be. Back downstairs, Eli saw Aquanine’s eyes go wide again at the unfamiliar object, but a few notes were enough to soothe it. This caught the attention of Nico and Maki who, realizing they had been seen, quickly separated from each other.

“I didn’t know you could play the flute Eli.” Maki coughed into her hand, trying to dissipate the blush on her cheeks.

“There was never any reason to bring it up I guess,” Eli walked into the room, quick to start the music again so Aquanine wouldn’t leave, “Let’s play together.” 

Soon the halls were alight with the sound of music, weaving through the crevices of the mansion filling it up with light that had long since faded. Somewhere in the back of her mind Eli thought about the legend of the baron Honoka had told her before. About how this rich and greedy man had opened his home to the unfortunate in order to cure a curse, but because he was still disgusted by them he still succumbed to his illness. There was something tugging at her about this story, something wasn’t quite right… 

They played for almost half an hour before Maki stretched out her arms, pointing at Nico who had fallen asleep against her shoulder. Smiling, Eli mouthed a thank you before leaving the room, seeing Umi sitting in the same position as before. Nudging her, Eli was glad to see she had returned to normal. Umi sheepishly apologized for not moving, apparently she was in a trance-like state and the blonde had broken her out of it. 

“It’s amazing, usually my mind is so full of the demon’s thoughts - of course I can’t hear them though I can tell they’re there. But right now it’s almost serene. My mind feels so clear, thank you Eli-san.” 

“No problem,” Eli smiled, patting Umi on the back as she left to go find Honoka and Kotori. Walking up the stairs, Eli heard Umi yelling “shameless” from somewhere in the mansion. Chuckling, the blonde went upstairs to get ready for bed.

-:-

There was a knock at her door.

Getting up, Eli groggily took the candle from her bedside and shined the light on her watch. It was almost 4 am. Yawning, she went towards the door and opened it just enough to see outside.

“Hello?” Eli’s voice strained with sleep and she fought back another yawn. Standing outside her door was Nico, arms folded and with an imposing air about her even though she was almost a foot shorter than the blonde. 

“Can you follow me for a second?” there wasn’t any urgency in Nico’s voice but something was wrong. Slapping her cheeks slightly, Eli managed to wake herself up and nodded, ducking back into her room to put on her belt. The two quietly made their way downstairs, a heavy silence weighing down the air.

“Did you have to bring the candle?” Nico turned to ask Eli, “It would have been better if we just stayed in the dark…”

The blonde rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, “I’m uh- actually scared of the dark… It’s a long story but the point is I’m really bad with it.”

Nico didn’t say anything, just rolling her eyes before leading Eli towards the ballroom. They stopped just outside the door and Nico peaked inside, visibly stiffening when she did. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke so quietly Eli could barely hear her in the silence of the night air.

“It’s still there. Saetem is still there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the gaps between chs are so long now lmao sorry for not writing but school is killing me rn and im just happy i got the ch published now though im excited!!! to write the next one!!!!! who is saetem??? you'll have to wait and see :3c   
> Talk to me at hb48.tumblr.com!!!! or comment!!!!!!


	12. Eye for an Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for blood and some violence

“Who's there?” 

Something in the room moved and Eli recognized the voice. It sounded different somehow - the beauty in it lost somewhere in the night and replaced by hauntiness. Holding her breath, Eli looked down at Nico who was already moving into the doorway. 

“It’s me, Saetam,” Nico folded her arms, “I thought you would know by now.” The shorter girl strode into the room, head held high and shoulders wide. In the dim light, she looked almost intimidating. 

“Red-eyes! Where did you go?” the voice hummed in a sickly sweet tone, thinly veiling the malice underneath, “You know I need my admirers with me at all times right? A king is nothing without his subjects after all.”

“I know, I know, so shut up will you.” Eli peeked past the doorway and saw Nico tilt her head up. The kiss went on long past comfortable and when they separated, Nico was gasping for air. Saetam grinned, hair pins shining in the moonlight. And it was then that Eli could see who it was, hands wandering around Nico’s torso over each bruise and bandage. 

“Honestly, why won’t that pathetic princess make you her’s alone? Own you mind and body - Satan knows you’d do it for her sake,” Saetam whispered, ducking its head in the crook of Nico’s neck and gazing its teeth against her skin, “And Satan knows she wants to.”

“Maki’s not that type of person-” Nico hissed through clenched teeth as Saetam moved to the other side of her neck, “She’s nothing like you.” 

The demon let out a growl, something from deep in its throat full of anger, “Shut up human! I’m a king - compared to me, you’re nothing but a bug.” 

“Haven’t you ever heard about the king who was killed by the bite of a red ant? Don’t underestimate bugs.” Nico spat back at it.

A thud reverberated throughout the ballroom as Nico fell onto the ground, clutching the side of her face. Saetam stood over her with fire in its eyes, “SHUT UP! I’m a king! No- I’m as great as Satan himself!” It began kicking Nico’s side, the sound of it echoing in the night air. Eli couldn’t take watching it anymore. 

“I’m afraid I cannot stand to see someone using the Devil’s name lightly,” Eli walked in, adjusting her gloves, “Even by its own pawn.”

Saetam spun its head around and now Eli was faced with the fact that it really was Maki’s body. Her face and body were all there but it was hard to accept that it was all real. This was different from when they met before when Eli had first arrived or all the other brief encounters that they had until now - it was all too different.

“Heh, well if it isn’t Blondie,” Saetam smirked, a foot on top of Nico’s chest, “I haven’t seen you in a while. Honestly, who let you have a face like that? It’s almost as good as my host’s. Well, almost.” 

“Let her go Saetam.” 

“Or you’ll do what?” It laughed, giving Nico one last kick that sent her sliding across the floor, “Just prove that I’m stronger?”

Eli didn’t respond, instead rushing forward with an open palm, intending to land a clean shot against Saetam’s stomach but the demon quickly side stepped away. Instead, it turned its body, landing a clean shot to Eli’s back with its elbow. The blonde fell onto the ground with a resounding thud and ringing in her ears. Catching her breath, Eli barely moved out of the way as Saetam stomped down on the spot where she had fallen. 

It took all of Eli’s energy to avoid the demon’s blows - it didn’t seem to stop moving and any lapse in attention would cause another blow to land on her body. Eli frantically searched for an opening, any opening, but Saetam kept its arms close to its body, hands cupped in a claw-like shape. It was probably looking for a chance to grab Eli and knock her unconcious. She needed a plan, quickly before it could get her-

All too quickly, Eli felt the cold tile underneath her and a hand grasped tightly around her throat. She had tripped on the one thing she wasn’t counting on, a body lying on the floor. Nico was knocked out cold and Eli didn’t see her in the darkness. Now Saetam had the advantage, looking down mockingly at the blonde with that smug grin of its.

“Heh, looks like it’s my win Blondie,” it laughed, deep and malicious, “Like I said, the king always wins! Nothing could possibly beat me!” It raised its arm into the air, ready to strike down when something grabbed it from behind. 

Nico held Saetam’s arm back, barely keeping hold of it as the demon tried to break free from her grasp. Eli took this chance, she reached into her coat pocket where she felt one of her vials of holy water. Shattering the glass, she could feel the liquid seep into the absorbent padding on the palm of her glove. Just as Saetam threw Nico off, Eli pushed forward, intending to land a clean hit on the demon’s chest. However, Saetam suddenly tired to escape, twisting the motion of Eli’s arm so her palm landed, instead, right over its left eye. 

Screaming in pain, Saetam shoved the blonde away. Clutching at its eye, barely able to form coherent words as the entire mansion vibrated with its voice. Shaking, Eli tore off her glove before rushing forward. That was Maki’s body she hurt- Maki was going to get hurt if she didn’t force Saetam away quickly!

The demon looked up at the blonde, so much pain and anger in its eye. If looks could kill, Eli would have probably been brutally murdered. It was shivering in pain, clutching at its skin and breathing in big, heaving breaths. Pointing a finger up at Eli it managed to choke out, “You… You’ll pay for this Blondie… No one touches the king! NO ONE!” 

And with its final ounce of energy, it pushed the blonde away, getting onto its feet and sprinting out of the room as fast as possible. Eli got up and went chasing after as soon as possible, the dim sound of feet on stairs somewhere in the back of her mind. Dashing through the halls, there was a sickening realization in her gut that in the light of the moon, she could see a trail of blood along the wall. Finally stopping at the piano room, she went inside, only to find Maki’s body slumped over the keys. She was bleeding from her nose and the blood pooled over the white ivory, painting it a deep red. 

Over her eye was a large wound. It was difficult to tell in the moonlight but Eli could see one thing, the red marks stood loud and clear on Maki’s skin in the shape of a palm, a perfect match up to Eli’s own. She felt her blood run cold and suppressed the urge to be sick to her stomach. Eli turned away just as the others reached the door. The first to see was Honoka and she ran forward, shouting Maki’s name. Hanayo couldn’t even look and hid her face in Rin’s chest, small choked back sobs mixing with Rin’s wailing. Umi had ran off to find Nico while Kotori helped Honoka carry Maki away. 

Eli merely walked to the door, staring down at her palm, the scene replaying back again in her head. Her ears were still ringing with the sound of Maki screaming - there was no denying it. That was Maki’s voice screaming out in pain and it was Maki lying unconscious on top of the piano. It was Maki whose eye was wounded, maybe beyond repair and it was all because of Eli’s actions. 

“Elicchi?”

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts and Eli looked up to lock eyes with Nozomi. She had a shawl around her shoulders, just like that cold morning when she waited to see the blonde off. Nozomi’s hand brushed against Eli’s cheek and for the first time she realized she was crying. The other girl continued to wipe away Eli’s tears as she took her bare palm in her own hand. Compared to Eli’s, Nozomi’s hand was warm and comforting as it made small circles on the back of her hand. 

“Nozomi I- I didn’t mean to-” Eli whispered, hot tears stinging her eyes and she tried to explain herself. Nozomi pulled her down into a tight hug, whispering a single “I know,” before Eli broke down completely, letting herself cry into Nozomi’s shoulder.

-:-

The next morning, Eli stood in front of Maki’s door. She hadn’t slept at all last night, wallowing in guilt and crying more than she had in a long time. Even now she felt awful, her emotions twisting her gut out of shape and growing a lump in her throat too big to swallow. 

As she stood there, the door suddenly opened, Nico leaving the room and closing the door behind her. From the looks of it, the shorter girl hadn’t gotten much sleep either. Eli felt her eyes water again at the sight of Nico, a bruise under one eye from being thrown around the night before. 

Suddenly, there was a stinging sensation to Eli’s cheek and Nico’s hand was held high in the air. Touching the red skin, Eli blinked down at the shorter girl who sighed, hands resting on her hips.

“Now we’re even,” Nico announced, “I don’t blame you for what you did. I was the one who asked for your help and Saetam attacked you; it was right for you to defend yourself. I know you didn’t want to hurt Maki - so don’t blame yourself alright?” 

Eli felt herself crying for who knows how many times that day as she managed to sob out a feeble, “Thank you,” as she wiped at her eyes quickly. 

“Aw come on, don’t cry you big baby,” Nico sighed, reaching up on her tiptoes to try and pat Eli’s head, only making it up to the blonde’s forehead, “I’m sure Maki forgives you too so why don’t you go see her? She’s awake now.” 

“I can’t,” Eli choked out, smiling sadly, “I’d probably just cry again and I’m sure she’s tired of seeing tears. I could hear Rin and Hanayo from all the way down the hall.”

Nico let out a little laugh, giving Eli a friendly punch in the stomach, “Yeah, the two were really bawling their eyes out earlier. I think they’re asleep on the couch now. I should probably help them into bed.” 

The shorter girl walked past Eli, giving her a small push towards the door. It was a clear signal Eli should go talk to Maki. But she couldn’t - not after what she did. She couldn’t stand to see Maki right now. Before she could turn and walk away however, a single, quiet voice spoke from behind the door.

“Eli? I know you’re outside. I want to talk to you.” 

Oh crap. Taking in a deep breath, Eli tried to steel her nerves and though she was unsuccessful, she opened the door anyway. Just as she walked in regret began to pool in her stomach. Maki was sitting up in her bed, a teacup in her hand and the plate in another. But on her face, clashing against her bright red hair, was a clean, white surgical eyepatch. The normally imposing and confident (missing a word?) looked all too vulnerable like this and Eli fought back the urge to bolt out the door and managed to take a seat by the bed. 

Maki put her tea on the nightstand and folded her hands, “This isn’t your fault,” was the first thing she said. That was when Eli began to tear up, “I’m fine.” Now Eli was crying again. God, where did all these tears come from? 

This startled Maki, who probably didn’t expect the imposing six foot tall demon-hunter to start bawling right in front of her. Panicked, the younger girl reached for a box of tissues, almost throwing it at the blonde. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” was all Eli could manage, faced with the reality of what had happened. Of course she saw that reality last night but seeing the aftermath was something else all together. 

It took some time for Eli to collect herself, and by the time she did, Maki looked like she was on the verge of tears as well. The two talked for a small time, mostly idly chatter about how Maki was doing and whether she would get better. Maki assured Eli that it was mostly a surface wound and that a real doctor was going to come to look at it later that day. This eased most of Eli’s worries and soon she left the room, feeling just a bit better.

-:-

Maki was right, it was a surface wound. Some mix between a cut and a burn, it would take some time for it to heal since the skin on the face was so sensitive, but it wouldn’t leave any scars. As for the eye itself, aside from some mysterious discoloration, it worked just fine. Maki would just need to take the eyepatch off once a day so her eye didn’t lose its ability to see. She also had some fatigue and would have to rest for the next few days. 

While the diagnosis was relieving to hear, Eli felt heavy for the rest of the day. And when it finally came time for bed, she found herself unable to sleep once again. Tossing and turning on her covers, Eli let out a deep sigh as she finally sat up and turned the lights back on. Maybe she should go for a walk around the mansion…

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama drama drama lol hopefully it doesnt sound too hammy :P also yes eli is totally a complete cry baby u cant fight me on this u guys u just cant  
> now we move into (you guessed it) even MORE plot stuff!!! What!!!! and if you thought eli cried a lot this ch well i got surprises for u lmao  
> as always yell at me in the comments or hmu at hb48.tumblr.com and also my sister at godbear999.tumblr.com bc she is my complete co-conspiritor in this lol


	13. Night Light

Eli jerked her head up from her hands. Who could be up at this hour? Maybe it was Nico, though Eli swore she saw the shorter girl asleep in Maki’s room just a few hours ago. Checking her pocket watch, the hands read just past one. Sighing, Eli pushed herself off her bed, silently walking towards the door. Opening it, she peeked outside, only to be immediately met with golden eyes. They glowed just slightly and stood out against the darkness of the hallway. 

“Hello, Eli, do you mind if I come in?”

“Oh, sure,” she stepped aside, letting the demon inside. Their name was Zagreus, they had told her themselves several weeks ago. She had no idea what they wanted, and while Zagreus was usually friendly and amiable, their personality was still a mystery since they barely possessed Nozomi in the first place. 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been to your room,” they looked around, smiling to themselves, “It’s still so nice and neat.” 

“Thanks,” Eli meant to sound more open, but she couldn’t help but give such a half-hearted answer. The events from the night before still hadn’t settled in her mind, lingering there and tugging at the back of her mind. It was the reason why she had been unable to sleep - why everything about her felt so heavy. 

“Sit?” Zagreus was on the bed, patting the space next to them. Eli sat down, letting out a sigh as she buried her face in her hands once again, “Is something wrong? Is this about what you did to Saetam’s host - Maki, right?”

“Yes,” the energy was bleeding out of Eli, seeping into the covers and leaving her skin cold, “I feel awful because no matter what anyone says, it’s my fault she’s hurt. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were. I hurt her. And I can’t clean my hands of something like that so easily.

I was sent here to protect them, Zagreus. Keep them safe from the demons and make sure they can go home to their families one day. How am I going to save them from such a fate if I can’t even stop a possession without hurting them?” 

The words were spilling out by now, an unstoppable wave of emotion hitting Eli and rocking her to her core, “I bet Arisa would have been able to exorcise the demons so easily. She’s so much more gifted than I am. I barely have enough spiritual abilities to make out spirits, forget about getting rid of them. I just wish,” Eli took in a shaky breath, hands trembling, “I just wish I wasn’t so useless sometimes.”

Zagreus wrapped their arms around Eli, stroking the blonde’s hair with one hand and tracing small, comforting circles on her back with the other. They ran their fingers through Eli’s undone hair, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze, “Well if it means anything coming from a demon, I think you’re amazing Eli.”

Lifting her head up Eli saw Nozomi’s hand cupping her face. Her hand went to touch Nozomi’s hair, brushing her bangs to the side and tracing how it flowed down her back like waves. The tension in the air was tangible as their faces grew closer. Eli’s mind was flooded with memories of a dimly lit courtyard, lips melding together with Tsubasa’s with no rhyme or reason. The girl who visited the church every Sunday whose lips were chapped from the cold and eventually moved away. Turquoise eyes like the ocean watching her from behind metal bars, from behind the girls swarming around her at the mansion’s door.

And in front of her, was glowing, bright gold. 

“I’m sorry,” Eli pulled back, not wanting to push Zagreus away but desperate to create space between them, “I can’t right now - I’m sorry but, I just can’t. Please understand that.”

The smile fell from Zagreus’ face, replaced with an unreadable expression. They let out a low sigh, grabbing the blankets with their hands, “Oh… I see. It’s true then. You’re just like the others. God, I really am a fool aren’t I?” Their expression suddenly turned sour, brows knitted and voice almost breaking, “You don’t want anything to do with me, huh?”

Shocked, Eli felt a vice grip on her arm, frozen stiff in fear as Zagreus pushed her down onto the bed. They grabbed Eli’s wrists, violently tugging them above her head and yanking her forward. The blonde stumbled on her feet, trying to use what little energy she could muster to break free. But Zagreus was strong - much stronger than Eli had ever imagined and her limbs felt anchored down. Taking a glance up at their face, Zagreus had become unreadable once again - devoid of any emotion, coldly staring back at her. 

The next thing she knew her face was buried in the carpet. Eli gasped for air, the wind knocked out of her after being tossed inside the large closet in her room. She struggled onto her feet, racing towards Zagreus who blocked the door. They used a foot to easily shove Eli back onto the ground. Before they closed the door to the closet, they took one last look back at Eli, a strange look of hesitation - or maybe even regret - on their face as the doors finally shut. By the time Eli was back on her feet, they had pushed something in front of the door, making it impossible to open quickly. There was already too little light inside the cramped space, anxiety bubbling like poison - like acid - in the pit of her stomach. It crawled up her legs, making its way up her body until she could barely move. Eli’s breath was stuck in her throat, she could barely choke out her words.

“Zagreus, what are you doing?” She shook the closet doors, desperate to find a way out before the fear consumed her completely. Deep breaths. What had the priest back at home told her? Inhale for eight seconds, exhale for seven… Or was it the other way around? Her heart was pounding, deafening in her ears making it hard to think straight. 

“I’m sorry it had to be like this Eli,” Zagreus’ voice sounded so far away, “I can’t do this. Not again. I need something between us. If you can’t love me, fine. I get it. I don’t need you to love me. I’ll make you hate me.” 

With that, Eli heard a soft click and before she could protest, everything around her became pitch black. Fear clawed up her back, wrapping itself around her throat, choking out every breath of air from her lungs. Her legs gave out from under her, leaving Eli gasping for air as she looked desperately for something solid to hold on. Her hands were shaking already, trembling so hard she could barely push against the closed doors. The longer she stayed down, the darker it became, enveloping everything around her with a sickening sensation. 

Eli shut her eyes, desperate to focus on something else - anything else. Visions of blood stained ivory flashed behind closed lids, of deep caves and something wet dripping from her shoulder. Her hand flew over the spot instinctively, grabbing onto it as if it was still bleeding. Curling up on the floor, Eli drew in one sharp breath after another, feeling her throat tighten with each gasp of air. 

Her vision became blurry as every ounce of energy seemed to drain out of her body, mixing and molding with the darkness around her. Struggling to keep her breathing steady, Eli screwed her eyes shut, managing to force her vocal chords to work.

“Help… Nozomi…”

-:-

Furball was doing its nightly rounds. Sniffing along the ground, it was able to easily sneak out from by Glutter’s host’s side. The night suited it much more than the day, though it had to be careful from moving too much. Its host’s body was much more fragile than Furball’s own, which was very inconvenient. Content with scoping out the second floor of its territory, Furball slowly climbed up the stairs.

Immediately it could notice something was off. First, its caretaker’s scent was missing. The woman who would always pet Furball’s head and give her food - long before the tall woman appeared. Her scent was missing even though everyone else should have been asleep. The second thing is that something lingered in the air. It was a scent Furball was all too familiar with, heavy and sticking to everything else on the floor.

It was the scent of deep, dark fear. 

Tracing it back to its source, Furball nudged the door open with its hand. There was no one inside, all the lights turned off and the blinds closed shut. It made a face, cringing slightly at how strong the smell was. Strangely enough, the tall one’s scent was mixed in there as well. That would make sense since it was her room, but right now it was completely empty. 

Sniffing around some more, Furball found itself in front of the closet doors. This is where the smell was strongest - mingled in with the smell of the tall one. Someone had braced the handles of the closet with a broomstick. Furball easily slid it out and pulled the doors open, cautiously taking a few steps forward. It gently nudged the figure crumpled up on the floor with its nose. 

No response.

It tried again, this time giving her a small nip on the ear. 

Still no response.

Furball got up on its hind legs, knowing it could move faster this way. It ran down the hall, using its nose to navigate the dark halls until it reached the room all the way at the end. Scratching at the door, it waited, letting out a few low growls to try and catch the inhabitant’s attention.

Nico groaned, her feet hitting the ground with a thud. Oh my god, what time was it? The one day her demon actually lets her sleep at a reasonable time and somehow something comes and interrupts her anyway. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Nico opened the door, only to be tackled back towards her bed by Rin. Or rather, Rin’s demon. Nico hit the floor and her head missed the frame of her bed by just a few centimeters.

“What the hell!? Why are you here?” Nico whispered angrily, grabbing Furball by the shoulders. Shouldn’t this thing be bugging Nozomi or Eli instead of her? What did she ever do to deserve this, huh?

Furball pointed awkwardly with Rin’s fingers out into the hallway, only confusing Nico more. Then it began to meow, continuing to motion with its hands. When that didn’t work, it tugged at Nico’s shirt with its teeth, forcing her up as it continued meowing. Dragging her forward, Furball would bump its head on the back of her legs if she ever staggered, urging her on. Eventually, they reached Eli’s room, the door still ajar from when it was there minutes ago. 

“Eli? Why’s your door open-” Nico began, peering into the room. When she saw it was dark, there was sinking feeling in her gut. She remembered Nozomi telling her Eli afraid of the dark. Something about an accident when she was a kid. Why then, would all the lights be off in her room? 

Taking in a deep breath, Nico flicked the lights on, the bulb overhead sputtering back into life. Her heart immediately sank into the floor when she saw the closet open with someone sprawled out on the floor. Dropping to her knees, Nico yelled at Furball to wake up the others, looking over Eli in her arms. The blonde had tear streaks down her face and marks on her palms from gripping her hands into tight fists. Several of Eli’s nails had been broken, her knuckles dusted with light bruises. Even unconscious, her breathing was shallow and labored, catching dangerously in her throat until she finally exhaled. 

“Eli! Hey Eli!” Nico shook Eli frantically, “Wake up you big baby!” 

With another shake, Eli’s eyes began to flutter open. She threw a feeble glance up at Nico, barely able to whisper each syllable, “Ah… Get away…” 

She weakly hit Nico’s chest with a fist, breathing becoming more and more ragged as the weak look in her eyes was replaced with fear. Curling up in the smaller girl’s lap, Eli’s entire body shook with each gasp of air. She was babbling by now, unintelligible things that sounded like words spilling out with every rise and fall of her chest. Nico wrapped her arms around Eli, whispering comforting things as she pulled the blonde in closer. 

In the back of her mind, Nico thought about how weird the scene must look. Here she is, a beaten up girl holding a demon-hunter about a foot taller than her in her arms. Said demon-hunter was also having a breakdown right in front of her. Not exactly how she expected to spend the night to say the least. 

Nico rubbed Eli’s back gently, like how she would when her younger siblings had nightmares about her being taken away from them forever. By now the others had arrived and Nico warned them to keep their distance. They had no choice but to watch as the one person they looked to for answers - the one that had promised them a new chance at life, giving them a hope they had once forgotten - crumbled in front of them. It was an unfaltering, unforgiving feeling of despair. 

Out in the backyard, golden eyes glowed in the darkness, fixated on the lone light coming from the third story window. Sighing into its hands, it felt its energy drain away. Closing its eyes, Nozomi felt the cold of the night bite into her skin. Looking down at her hands, she saw that they were shaking and took in deep breaths in an attempt to calm them down. Even from the backyard, she could see people moving around in Eli’s room. Staring back at her hands, Nozomi couldn’t stop the shaking.

“What in the world did you do?”

-:-

The next morning, Eli was nowhere to be found.

Nico had somehow managed to calm her down the night before, even going so far to fall asleep at her side. But apparently Eli had never gone to sleep, because before anyone else awoke, she had packed up her things and silently left the mansion. She hadn’t taken much, just her notebook and some clothes stuffed into a trunk. Her cloak had been left behind too, clutched in Nico’s hands as she yelled and screamed in frustration. 

They spent all day looking for her, even checking the creepy basement none of them wanted to ever go in alone. But there was nothing. No sign of the demon-hunter they had seen as their only hope. The one they had accepted as part of their family.

Nozomi was unconsolable. She refused to leave her room, holding desperately onto Eli’s cloak and muttering, “This is all my fault.” It was a few days before things settled down. Maki was able to move around again and everyone had to go back to living their lives. The door to the single room on the third floor was shut and locked, the key left inside Eli’s cloak pocket. Nico swore that she would punch Eli for real the next time she saw her. No one objected to the idea. 

Unable to leave the mansion property, they were stuck waiting. 

Someone came by to drop off groceries once a week just like before. But they all missed the snacks and treats Eli would bring them, sneaking in some chocolate for herself and making up excuses when Nozomi tried to scold her. Eli’s presence was missed in the library where suddenly, the trio had no one to tell the myths of the town to. Rin and Hanayo tried their best to keep each other's demons in check, but it was way harder than they remembered. Nico would sit in the ballroom sometimes, listening to Maki play on the old piano and “practicing her punches.” 

And Nozomi stood, waiting at the gate. She would stand there for half an hour, then an hour, and soon Nico had to force her inside. Two weeks after Eli left, Nozomi caught a cold from standing outside for so long. When Nico asked her why she didn’t just wear that coat, the one she still held onto, all Nozomi could do was give a wry smile and weak shrug of her shoulders. But even confined to bed, Nozomi waited, always reassuring them.

“Don’t worry, Elicchi will be back soon.”

Soon the winter gave way to spring, and as the leaves began to grow again on the trees in the forest and the flowers in the front yard begged for more tending - she never came back. By the times the flowers were beginning to bud, none of them expected her to be back. Nozomi had stopped waiting every day, spending most of her time inside instead. 

And with that, everything had returned back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> check out these sweet demon designs my sister made (which are canon btw! they will be important.... later.....)  
> http://godbear999.tumblr.com/post/140105866817/firsst-year-demons-go-read-my-sister-and-my
> 
> hope you liked the ch :^)  
> yell at me at hb48.tumblr.com


	14. A New Beginning

“Ha~ah!”

Arisa took in a deep breath, shivering as the ocean air brushed against her cheeks. She held a letter tight in one hand, barely able to contain her excitement as she saw the first signs of land on the horizon. Leaning onto the railing, Arisa skimmed over it one more time.

Eli had written to her a month ago asking her to visit once the winter festivals were over. Arisa was elated - no, overjoyed - at the idea and had been looking forward to this trip through countless meetings with boring old clergy. And now it was so close! Otonokizaka, where her sister had been working so hard since the fall, was just a little farther!

In the letter, Eli had told her to stay for a month so they could spend some time together. She had gushed in the letter about all the information she had learned and how she felt so strong. Smiling to herself, Arisa brought the letter up to her chest. It had always been an insecurity for Eli that Arisa was much more spiritually powerful, but it seemed like being Otonokizaka had made her realize she was still amazing. Well, to Arisa she had always been amazing anyway. 

Though she was pretty bummed she couldn’t stay in the mansion. Eli had asked the mayor to lend her a room at a local inn, emphasizing that it was “too dangerous” to stay at the mansion. Puffing out her cheeks slightly, Arisa wanted to argue but couldn’t find anything that would be able to withstand Eli’s logic and reasoning. That was the type of person Arisa’s big sister was afterall. 

Watching the waves lap against the side of the boat, Arisa was thankful to her big sister for giving her this chance. As the spiritually strongest one in her family, Arisa had been sheltered most of her life. Every waking moment had been dedicated in only improving her abilities and treating her as if she was made of porcelain. Even her own parents fell into that trap on occasion, always babying her and double-triple checking to make sure she was okay even after a simple walk around their property. 

There was only one person that never treated her like that. Memories of Eli taking her out hiking and comforting her when she scraped her knee washed over her. Eli who would take her hand to help her up when she fell and ruffle her hair when she did a good job. She was the best big sister anyone could ask for! Even with their age difference, Eli didn’t treat her like a baby, though she did tend to spoil her a bit. 

Caught up in her thoughts, Arisa barely noticed when the docks began to appear. Soon she had all her stuff packed up, dragging two large luggage bags behind her. Thankfully they were on wheels but it was still hard to move them around. Because of her spiritual abilities, there was never a need to do much physical training. Sighing, Arisa stopped to catch her breath, wiping some sweat off her brow. Maybe she should have changed out of her training robes before leaving the ship. Though they had kept her warm from the ocean wind, Otonokizaka was quite a bit warmer than she had imagined. The early spring breeze barely went through her thick coat and Arisa wondered if she could just sling it over one of her bags. 

“Do you need any help?”

“Oh no, I’m fine-” Arisa turned, addressing the friendly voice but found her words stuck in her throat. In front of her, right now at this moment, was the single most beautiful girl she had ever seen. 

And this was no exaggeration. Eli told her she had a habit of blowing things out of proportion, especially if it was stuff she liked, but this was no joke! The mystery girl’s hair was cut just short enough to curl at the back of her neck, blue eyes framed by her burgundy locks. She wore a simple hoodie with a t-shirt underneath, black tights that reached to her knees beneath her shorts. Arisa’s jaw went slack at the unusually casual style. Wasn’t it a little too revealing? 

The t-shirt was low enough to reveal the mystery girl’s collarbones. Following the line towards her shoulder, Arisa’s eyes went wide as she saw the burn scars going up the other girl’s neck. They stopped right below her jaw, reaching down just where her collarbone started and hiding underneath the fabric of her t-shirt.

“Are you alright?” Her voice was like candy, sweet and cheery, “I’m sorry for speaking up all of a sudden but you look like you’re not from around here. Plus that luggage looks heavy.” 

“O-Oh! You mean this luggage!” Arisa awkwardly looked back at her bags, “They’re no big deal really - I’m here to visit someone. My name is Arisa Ayase.”

Arisa tried to smile as the mystery girl’s eyes went kinda wide. Oh no, she really was too beautiful. Even that confused expression of her’s sent Arisa’s heart aflutter. Coughing into her hand, the girl seemed to have cleared her head, “I’m Yukiho Kousaka.” 

Ah, Yukiho. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl of course. Arisa twiddled her fingers, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, “Hi Yukiho.” 

The pronunciation was a bit weird coming from her but Yukiho smiled - oh no, she was even more gorgeous when she smiled. In the end, Yukiho tugged along one bag while Arisa pulled the other, trying to keep up with the simple conversation they were having. Otonokizaka was small, the atmosphere completely different from the one back at home. It was refreshing not to be the center of attention for once, the people here just smiled and waved at her before going back to their business. And she was being escorted by such a pretty girl! Arisa tried to keep the skip out of her step as she walked with Yukiho, barely paying attention to where she was going. When she finally looked up, they weren’t at the inn Arisa had told her she would be staying at. Instead they were at what looked like a bakery.

“This is my family’s shop,” Yukiho pushed the luggage bag inside, Arisa following behind her, “Can you wait here for a second?”

Before Yukiho could finish her question, Arisa had already nodded, looking around the shop idly. The smell of fresh made sweets floated in the air, so different from the pastier stores back home. This must be for traditional sweets. Arisa walked around and gazed curiously at the foreign looking sweets lined up behind the glass. On a table was a small basket full of samples. Taking one, Arisa nibbled on it, surprised at the unusual taste. Were these beans? But they were so sweet! Unable to stop herself, Arisa reached for one more sample when she heard footsteps fast approaching.

“Arisa, I think you need to meet someone…” Yukiho said, pushing someone forward.

Looking up, Arisa’s eyes immediately lit up, spreading out her arms for a hug, “Big sister!” 

“H-Huh?”

-:-

“Huh?” 

Eli sat, bewildered by the image in front of her. Arisa was sitting across from her at a small table, drinking tea and sampling all the snacks Yukiho had laid out for them. On the table in front of her, Eli held the letter she had apparently written a month ago asking Arisa to visit Otonokizaka. This was a joke right? What horrible timing was this?

“What’s wrong big sister?” Arisa tilted her head, taking another bite of manju, “Aren’t you going to eat anything? These confectionary are amazing!” 

“I think you can just call them sweets,” Eli reached over the table, wiping off some red bean from the corner of Arisa’s lips with her thumb, “And no, I’m not very hungry.”

After what happened, Eli had run away. It was a cowardly move, there was no denying it. She had regretted it almost immediately after she stepped into town, but at that point it was too hard to go back. The others would have been awake by then. Even now, remembering those glowing gold eyes staring back at her sent a cold shiver through Eli’s spine. With nowhere else to go, Eli somehow found herself in front of the Kousaka family bakery. Her explanation for why she was there was choppy at best, but they let her stay with them anyway. 

She had spent a month isolating herself in the shop, barely stepping out in case anyone in town recognized her. Mostly she helped with preparing the sweets and doing some grunt work with Honoka’s dad. Just then, Yukiho had dragged her away from chopping logs, which lead to her completely disheveled appearance. 

“So big sister, why are you here instead of at the mansion?” Arisa unwittingly jumped straight into the heart of the matter, catching Eli a little off-guard.

“Well, uh,” Eli twisted her hands in her lap, “Something… happened shortly after I wrote that letter.” Images of that night flashed in her mind, her throat tightening up at just the thought. She reached up, gripping the scar on her shoulder with one hand. It always seemed to throb when she was particularly upset.

Arisa took the cue, eyes immediately widening, “Big sister - I didn’t mean to bring up such awful memories.”

She was talking about that thing from the past, the reason for Eli’s irrational fear of the dark. Eli just shook her head, taking in a deep breath, “No, that’s not it. Thank you Arisa, you’ve always been so considerate.” 

Smiling, Eli got up, moving to sit next to her little sister and enveloping her in a tight hug. Whether it was to reassure Arisa or more for herself, Eli wasn’t sure. Either way, Arisa hugged back, smiling into the crook of Eli’s shoulder, giggling when the older girl placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

“You should get back to work big sister, you’re probably busy,” Arisa said, “Can I come visit again tomorrow?”

“Of course you can,” Eli ruffled Arisa’s hair slightly, earning a giggle from the younger girl, “Do you need help with your bags?”

“I-I’ll take them,” Yukiho emerged from behind the door to the living room, “If you don’t mind Arisa.”

“That would be great,” Arisa grinned, quickly getting back up on her feet. She followed Yukiho back to where her luggage bags were, leaving the shop towards the inn, “I’ll see you tomorrow, big sister.”

Smiling, Eli waved the two of them off, heading back inside once they faded out of view. Sitting back at the table, she dragged her hands down her face with a long, drawn out sigh. Eli could feel a headache building behind her eyes and her hands were shaking, a cold chill running down her spine. Get it together. She needed to do something about this - she couldn’t let this take over her. But she couldn’t tell Arisa, that would be too much to take in. Groaning, Eli could feel her headache getting worse from the frustration. 

Taking in a deep breath, she got back up, stretching her limbs. She still had fire wood to cut and it needed to be done before sundown. Rubbing the scar gently, Eli let her hand trail down to the tattoo on her bicep. She remembered Nozomi’s fingers, gently tracing around it months ago. Hastily pushing the image into the back of her mind, it was time to go back to work. 

-:-

The entire walk there, Arisa was troubled. In fact, she was still troubled as she unpacked her things. Yukiho had offered to get her some food and had left just a few minutes ago. There was something off about Eli, that much was obvious. The way she conducted herself seemed so different. There was a timidness about her, as if even the smallest thing would send her jumping out of her skin. It was most apparently when she had pulled Arisa into that hug.

Arisa couldn’t remember the last time Eli had felt so weak. Of course since she was mostly doing manual labor, it looked as if she was the perfect picture of health. But Arisa knew, that Eli was lacking that usual natural strength that came from years of training. On top of that, she had felt lighter so she probably wasn’t eating enough. Arisa doubted the Kousaka family gave her too little to eat - something must be really wrong. 

Sighing, Arisa flopped down onto the bed. But what could she do about this? Eli was the type of person who wanted to figure things out on her own, so there was no chance Arisa could make her open up. Rolling over onto her stomach, Arisa pulled her locket out from underneath her shirt. Opening it, she traced the picture on the inside - a photo of her and Eli as children. It had been a birthday present from the older girl a few years ago. Clutching it closer to her chest, Arisa whispered a small prayer.

“Please, oh God, if you can - let my older sister find peace with herself soon.”

She punctuated it with a kiss to the small tattoo of a cross on her inner left wrist. There was no problem with using her divine connection to help someone she really, really cared about right?

Just as she sat up, Yukiho came into the room, holding two boxes in her hands. She explained that these were called “bentos” and that Arisa should try some food traditional to the area for her first night’s dinner. All her worries from before seemed to disappear when she talked to Yukiho, and not just because she was beautiful. Yukiho was so different from Arisa - she had worked for most of her life helping her family’s store and knew so much more about the world. Arisa listened in amazement as Yukiho told her about playing in the woods and going camping in the hills, and not for training like Eli had done but just for fun. 

They had finished their bentos long ago and now just sat on the large mattress, talking about this or that. It was amazingly liberating having someone treat her like a normal teenage girl, no formalities and no standing at the altar so far removed from the rest of the town. Right now, Arisa was lying down with a girl her age, close enough that their shoulders were almost touching. And somehow, Yukiho looked just as relieved about the moment as Arisa. As if this was the first time in a long time she’s been treated as a “normal” girl. 

“What’s that?” Yukiho pointed at the tattoo on Arisa’s wrist, propping herself up on her elbows as the blonde sat up.

“It’s a tattoo. I got it when I was really little; it signifies my spiritual abilities,” Arisa ran over it with her thumb, “Basically it just means I can see things a little different from others and because of that, I have a close connection with God.” 

Staring down at it, Arisa held back a small squeak as Yukiho reached over, holding her wrist gently. She could feel her cheeks go pink, a little stunned at the sudden gesture.

“Wow,” there was genuine amazement in Yukiho’s voice as she looked at the dark lines, standing in stark contrast with Arisa’s pale skin, “It looks so cool. I wish my parents would let me get a tattoo, instead I get stuck with this.”

She pointed at her burn scars in a joking way. But Arisa had taken her hands, unable to stop herself, “I think they’re lovely. You’re so brave, Yukiho.”

Arisa could feel her cheeks go red, and in front of her, Yukiho’s own face lit up. She awkwardly let go of the other girl’s hands, whispering a small apology as they both agreed Yukiho should be leaving. The sun had already set and it would be dangerous going back any later than this. Arisa walked down to the front of the inn with her, unsure whether she was excited or felt like barfing. She decided it was a mix of both by the time they were standing on the porch.

“I’ll see you tomorrow when I visit big sister,” Arisa smiled nervously, playing with the hem of her shirt, “You will be there right?”

“Yeah,” Yukiho muttered, stuffing her hands into her hoodie pockets. The spring night was still cold and Arisa felt bad leaving her new friend out in the cold.”

“Goodbye,” she smiled, waving with one hand.

Suddenly, Yukiho leaned forward, just enough to plant a quick kiss on Arisa’s cheek. The contact had lasted for only a second but the patch of skin where Yukiho’s lips had touched felt like it was burning. Arisa involuntarily brought a hand up to the spot, mouth slightly agape as Yukiho took a few steps back, her face bright red.

“Bye bye.” 

With that, she ran off, not looking back once. Arisa stood frozen in place until Yukiho’s figure had long since disappeared. By the time she went back inside, the warmth on her cheek had faded, but her fingers stayed fixed in place over the spot. Falling onto the mattress, Arisa buried her face in the pillow, overcome with excitement. 

She couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk what to write here honestly lol um so arisa is here now and we find out what eli's been doing all this time lmao hopefully you guys will be interested in the direction the story is going in right now - so please leave comments below to tell me what you think and look forward to all the new things that are gonna happen ;o


	15. The Happening

Arisa walked through town with a spring in her step. The breakfast at the inn was amazing - she had never tasted such a variety of foods in her life! And she managed to sneak away one of the dessert rolls, filled with chocolate. If Eli really wasn’t eating enough, there was no way she could resist one of these. Plus she had awoken to a pleasant surprise that morning. 

It turns out that the reason why that inn room was able to be given away for free was because it was haunted. The spirit wasn’t malevolent or anything, no it was just the youngest daughter of one of the previous inn owners who sadly succumbed to disease. She was about the same age as Arisa and made a funny face when the blonde talked to her. The spirit’s name was Megumi and though she was cautious for the first five minutes, the two got along great. Arisa had never had a roommate before, so this was all very exciting for her. 

Seeing the sweets shop in the distance, her mood perked up even more. Grinning to herself, Arisa adjusted her bangs in a near-by shop’s window before continuing on. Yukiho was sweeping the front of the store, yawning into the crook of her arm. When she saw Arisa come closer, she quickly focused her attention back on sweeping one particularly messy patch of dirt. 

“Hello Yukiho,” Arisa smiled, beaming at the redhead, “It’s a beautiful morning isn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah, totally,” Yukiho coughed, a blush working its way onto her cheeks, “If you’re looking for Miss Eli, she’s in the back moving some bags. It should be easy to find her.”

“Thank you,” the blonde took Yukiho’s hand, placing a soft kiss on her fingers. It probably didn’t look as cool as when Eli did it but Arisa gave herself points for trying to be dashing. She quickly ducked into the shop, taking one glance back to see Yukiho’s face going bright red. Giggling to herself, Arisa ran through the shop and the house. She waved a hello to Yukiho’s parents before exiting the back door.

“Big sister, I brought you some extra breakfast!” Arisa ran up to Eli, the dessert roll neatly wrapped up in one hand. But when Eli turned to face her, Arisa stopped cold in her tracks, “Big... Sister?”

Eli’s hair was falling in front of her eyes, messy from working since earlier that morning. It was still down, even with the sun slowly creeping up from behind the mountains. And peeking out from her mussed up bangs, were eyes like ice. 

They were bright sky blue, standing in stark contrast with the rest of face. It felt as if they would pierce right through Arisa. Eli stood silently for a few seconds before her eyes suddenly returned to their usual soft color. Blinking a few times, she adjusted the sack of flour that was resting her shoulder, “You shouldn’t shout so loudly Arisa, you’ll disturb the neighbors. What’s wrong? You’re as pale as a sheet.”

Arisa dropped the dessert roll as it gracelessly tumbled out into the grass at her feet, “Big sister…”

“Oh was that for me? Why’d you drop it?” Eli was whining, pushing her bangs back with one hand, “It looked really good too. But I guess you were always a bit clumsy.”

Suddenly, Arisa ran forward, enveloping Eli into a tight embrace. The older girl almost dropped the flour, struggling to keep it steady. Arisa was unintelligible, muttering something so quietly Eli couldn’t hear. Worried, Eli carefully dropped the bag onto the ground, returning her younger sister’s hug. She stroked Arisa’s hair with one hand, silently reassuring her that everything would be alright. What had Arisa seen? Why was she acting like this all of a sudden? Eli replayed the situation in her head - she remembers Arisa shouting something happily while she was carrying the flour. 

But why was she holding this flour again? There’s a vague idea that she needed to bring it into the kitchen. Who had told her to do that? The memory was foggy, Eli couldn’t remember whether it was Honoka’s mother or father, even though it must have happened less than an hour ago. Why didn’t she tie her hair up? It was sunny and beads of sweat were already starting to form on the back of her neck. What was for breakfast today? What time did she get up this morning? When had she fallen asleep?

The dots fell into place at some point. Lining up with each other in a shape Eli didn’t want them to. She tried to find a different explanation - something, anything. But there was a coldness to her fingertips and a pool of dread in the pit of her stomach at what she knew was the unchangeable truth. 

“You know when you’re asleep, and you feel like you’re falling? It’s like that, but instead of coming back to reality, you keep falling. And before you know it, it’s all over and you can’t believe it was all real. But it was real alright and that’s what’s so scary.”

Nico’s words came crashing like thunder into her head. Eli could feel her hands shaking, a breath stuck in her throat. She gave Arisa a gentle squeeze, a silent assurance that she was back - for now. 

-:-

“What in the world are you two doing?”

Yukiho hung around the doorway to Eli’s temporary room, in slight shock from the scene in front of her. There were lit candles surrounding Eli, who sat cross legged in the middle of them. The older girl had bangs pulled back, hair still down, and a cross drawn on her forehead with black charcoal. In front of her was a vial of holy water along with a variety of flower petals strewn in a seemingly random pattern. Arisa had a piece of chalk in one hand, writing something onto the wooden floor between the gaps in the petals. Her face was deadly serious, a stark contrast to the cheery expression from just a few hours ago. 

“It’s an Ayase family ritual,” Arisa coldly replied, “Can you come help me, Yukiho?”

“O-Okay,” Yukiho agreed without thinking, carefully stepping forward and doing as she was told, “So what exactly is this ritual for?”

“It seems like a demon has entered big sister’s body,” Arisa’s eyes were downcast, handing the vial of holy water to Yukiho along with a small knife.

“Huh? A demon? Isn’t she supposed to be the one here to chase them away - not let herself get possessed by one!?” the irritation was clear in Yukiho’s voice, biting and frustrated.

The blonde took the charcoal, drawing along her own hand from her tattoo up to her fingers, “Neither of us know how or why. But big sister had an idea of what to do.” Arisa finished her work, taking the vial of holy water and letting some of it spill over her fingers. She brought her hand up to Eli’s face, letting it drip down onto her older sister’s head.

“And what exactly is her plan huh?” 

“She told me in her letters that demons could be benevolent. I’ve done my own research and looked at some old artifacts that were said to host spirits. And it’s true, there’s a distinct difference in aura between the demons. I’ve actually never seen someone possessed in real life, only read about it,” Arisa looked down in shame, “So I could never notice the difference before. But I don’t know which aura is the benevolent one and which one is evil. Big sister thought we could take a gamble.

The Ayase family ritual we’re using right now is usually meant for spirit channeling. It’s something only the most spiritually adept people in our family can do because it takes a lot of energy to call someone back from the dead. But if it was something that’s already there - something like a demon - then even someone with as little power as big sister can call on it.”

“So you mean she’s gonna let the thing possess her!? That’s insane!” Yukiho was losing her temper, getting more frustrated as the drawn out explanation went on.

Arisa grimaced, biting the inside of her cheek, “That’s not it. Big sis is going to stop it. She’s going to fall asleep and I’ll help call out the spirit. If it works - she’ll be able to talk with it in her mind. That’s… the theory anyway.”

“And what if it doesn’t work? Has she thought that far ahead? Or is she just gonna let her guard down and let that thing possess her again?” the redhead tried not to scream. This was too crazy.

“Arisa,” Eli’s calm voice suddenly spoke out, “I’m ready.”

“Of course, big sister.” Arisa whispered. Giving Yukiho a solemn look, she sat down to face Eli. Letting the older girl close her eyes, Arisa gently traced her thumb over her eyelids. Then, taking the knife, she made a small slit across her left fingers, letting the blood pool over the scattered flower petals. Yukiho looked away, trying not to freak out at the sight. Noticing a cloth off to the side, the redhead brought it up to Arisa’s fingers, too afraid to speak but hoping her gesture was okay.

The blonde smiled gently, taking the cloth in her hand. Mouthing a thank you, Arisa turned with a serious expression towards Eli who sat unmoving.

“Oh God, please hear the cry of your child. Let her sleep and fall gently into the land of dreams. Oh child of the darkness, come into the world of the light. Meet with us and let us embrace you in our arms, which lay outstretched for you. Take my blood as drink and these petals as substance so you may become one of our realm. Let the darkness and the light meet, so we may have peace.”

Nothing seemed to happen. Yukiho blinked once. Then twice. But there was no change. No brilliant sheen of light coming into the windows, no supernatural breeze to extinguish all the candles, no rumbling of the earth. It was just the three of them, in the same positions as before. Arisa let out a deep breath, leaning back onto her palms. She untucked her legs from underneath her, checking the wounds on her fingers.

“Hey, are you alright? That looked…” Yukiho struggled to find the right word, nervously dodging her eyes around the room, “Intense.”

Arisa smiled softly, a little exhaustion on her face, “Yup, I’m fine. I’ve only done this a few times so it took some more energy than I thought, but I think it worked. I definitely felt big sister meeting something.” 

“That’s good?” she didn’t mean for it to come out like a question but Arisa just leaned onto Yukiho’s shoulder, a few drops of sweat forming along her brow.

“Mm, it’s good,” Arisa let her hand rest on top of Yukiho’s, weaving their fingers together, “Yukiho.”

“What is it?”

“Can you promise me that you won’t resent her? Big sister I mean. It’s not her fault and she was devastated by this. But she came up with idea, even when she had become something my family always thought of as the enemy - she came up with a solution. I’m really happy for her. Being here has really made her stronger. So,” Arisa titled her head up just enough for their eyes to lock, “Please?”

“Like I would ever hate her,” Yukiho mumbled, resting her head atop Arisa’s, “She can be stupid and her ideas can be half-baked, but she’s saved me more than once. And besides, she promised me to make Onee-chan better so I’m gonna hold her to it - whether she’s possessed or not.”

Arisa giggled, soft and breathy as it brushed up against Yukiho’s scars. There was nothing left for them to do but sit and wait for Eli to wake up. Adjusting her position slightly, Arisa let herself drift off to sleep, fingers still entwined with the redhead.

-:-

Everything was a blinding white. There were no walls, and if there were, it blended in with the pure white floors. Floating in the air were cubes, leaving trails of wispy black before fading away back into the room itself. Eli lay on her back in this strange world. Sitting up, she looked around, trying to wrap her head around where she was.

There were two things that caught her attention.

One, in front of her, there was a single throne. It wasn’t anything extravagant - just a tall chair with arm rests and dull red cushions, big enough to fit one person. Right now it was empty, standing in stark contrast with the rest of the space. Eli tried to reach out to it, but when she leaned in closer to it, a splitting pain ran through her head and forced her hand back. 

Two, there was an entirely unimaginable thing sitting on the other side of the throne, staring straight at Eli. Its head and body was covered in a soft fur and it had no arms but two short legs and a fox-like tail. Ears stuck up from its head and would occasionally turn. The most unnerving thing about the creature however, was its three eyes. They seemed unmoving, focused in on Eli with a piercing stare. An unnatural, ice cold blue. 

Gulping, Eli steeled her nerves, taking a deep breath before asking, “Are you the demon that has taken residence in my body?”

It doesn’t respond. Eyes still stuck on Eli. 

“What is this place? Why is this chair here? And what is your name?” she asked. Watching it, Eli saw it lazily blink. It blinked sideways. Shivering, she continued to watch as it slowly tilted its head from one side to another seemingly in thought. It spent its time like this for several minutes, turning the words over in its head. Occasionally it would slowly open its mouth, only to close it again and go back into thought. 

When it finally spoke, the words dropped off like single phrases - a deliberate emphasis on each one as if it had put a deep amount of meaning and reason into each one, “My name is Frost.”

Frost stopped talking, once again in thought about what to say. Eli sat impatiently, knowing she shouldn’t rush it but she was eager to learn just what in the world was going on. It repeated the same motions as before, opening its mouth as if to speak only to close it again and go back into thought. All the time staring right at Eli. She tried to avoid eye contact, choosing instead to examine the seams of her boots. 

“This place is a manifestation of your consciousness.” 

“Wait, my consciousness? That doesn’t make any sense,” Eli stood up, “This isn’t what it should look like at all - In the books, in the lessons - this isn’t what I was taught-”

Slowly, Frost pulled a gooey, viscous mass apart from its torso. It was an arm with a thumb and index finger, though the rest of its fingers seemed more like a paw. Bringing it up, Frost silently pointed its finger at Eli’s face. Confused, the blonde brought a hand up to her face, only to see blood when she pulled it back. Her nose was bleeding. That’s a bad sign, it meant her time was almost up. But she hadn’t learned anything. No, she needed more time - just a little longer. 

“You can come talk to me again,” Frost spoke up, just as Eli’s vision became blurry and her legs gave out underneath her, “I’ll be waiting.”

-:-

Eli’s eyes shot open. A few gasps of air and her vision became steady. She was back to the real world, the candles still lit around her. Noticing the dripping from her nose, she grabbed the cloth Arisa had used to wipe her fingers and held it up to her face. Looking around the room, Eli noticed that nothing much was different. It had been maybe ten minutes since the ritual took place. Much too short.

“So you’re up now.”

Yukiho whispered, Arisa asleep on her shoulder. Eli rubbed the back of her head awkwardly, pulling the cloth away to check if she was still bleeding, “Yes, I am.”

“Well, did you learn anything?” Yukiho kept her voice barely audible, probably for the sake of her friend.

“I did,” Eli whispered back, “The demon’s name is Frost. I went into a space that it said was my consciousness. There was a throne there but the rest of it was pure white… Regrettably, that’s all I found out. My demon is - taciturn.” 

“So you’re gonna have to do this again?” 

“Yes. If I ever want to understand more, it’s important for me to do this again.”

“Well, then don’t do it again so quickly,” the redhead mumbled, pointing at Arisa, “She gets tired from it. So for her sake don’t go doing this every day. Besides, you seem a little worse for wear too. I mean, you woke up with a nosebleed. Did you get decked or something?”

“No - It’s a consequence of being someone with little spiritual power being in such a spiritually charged place,” Eli checked her face in a mirror, dismayed that blood was streaked under her nose, “It takes a physical toll on the body.” 

Yukiho frowned, crease marks forming on her forehead, “You better not do this too often and worry Arisa, you got that?”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” Eli muttered as she tied her hair up, “It seems that you’re quite taken with her.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle as Yukiho’s face went bright red. The redhead quickly looked away, muttering something underneath her breath as Eli went to the bathroom. Eli washed her face clean, staring at her reflection as water rolled down her cheeks. She tried to imagine it - her eyes the same, cold and piercing color as Frost’s. Of not speaking and looking right through others. It scared her how much she couldn’t remember what had happened that morning while she was possessed. It scared her more what would have happened if she didn’t snap out of it when she did. 

Eli sat on her knees in front of Arisa, brushing the younger girl’s bangs out of her face. Smiling to herself, she pat Yukiho’s head as well. Yukiho seemed like she would protest, but stayed silent and just watched as Eli blew out all the candles before leaving the room. Blushing slightly, the redhead placed a soft kiss on Arisa’s forehead.

“Payback for kissing my hand earlier,” she mumbled, a little embarrassed about talking to someone who was asleep. 

“Hehehe, you’re face is red, Yukiho.” Arisa smiled sleepily, eyes still half lidded and Yukiho almost flew backwards.

“Y-You were awake!? Holy shit, tell me first - you scared me!” Panting, Yukiho tried to dispel the blush on her cheeks as Arisa giggled. The blonde lifted their hands up, pointing out that their fingers were still intertwined. Yukiho quickly drew her hand back, nervously muttering “I didn’t want to wake you up, okay?” 

“Mmhmm,” Arisa tried to hide her grin behind her hand, feeling her own cheeks light up. 

“Don’t smile like that, it’s creepy.”

“Okay,” she scooted next to Yukiho, leaning against her shoulder once more, “Is it okay if I do this?”

Yukiho sighed, brushing a hand through her hair and drawing circles on the wooden floor, “Do what you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN


	16. Reflections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are you fucking ready for this

“Yukiho, where are you taking me?”

“Just trust me.”

Arisa tried to hide her grin behind a hand, letting herself be dragged by the wrist through the small alleys of the town. Earlier that day, the two of them had visited the younger siblings of one of the other girls in the mansion. Then Yukiho insisted that they go somewhere. The redhead stubbornly refused to reveal where exactly they were going but Arisa could care less. Yukiho’s hand was a little calloused from working in her family’s bakery but still felt soft around the blonde’s wrist. Just this small touch made Arisa feel like she was floating on air. 

They were in the forest now, the trees and dirt below their feet reminded Arisa of home. How Eli would sneak out with her and they would pretend to be monsters and knights and princesses. It became more heavily wooded as they walked, their pace slowing to make sure no one tripped on a root or rock. Sunlight fluttered down in rays through the gaps in the leaves above them. Neither of them said anything, content with the noise of birds and the crunching of sticks. All the while, Yukiho never let go of Arisa’s wrist, her thumb occasionally tracing around the cross tattoo.

“Close your eyes?” Arisa did so, smiling a little to herself. Yukiho had a habit of making things sound like a question when she was nervous. The blonde could almost feel the anxiousness coming off Yukiho in waves as they continued walking. Soon, she stopped, Arisa almost running into her. “Alright, you can open them now.”

Everything was blue taking up Arisa’s entire field of vision. Otonokizaka was below them and Arisa could see the sea, stretched far beyond the horizon and mixing with the sky. Boats were little more than specks on the vast expanse of ocean, scattered like the wisps of clouds on this spring day. It was breath-taking, a sight more than rare in her heavily forested home. Turning towards Yukiho, the other was sitting in the grass, fiddling with the stems of some nearby flowers. When she saw Arisa staring, Yukiho patted the spot next to her. 

“This is beautiful,” Arisa sat down, staring again at the scenery, “I can’t believe you get to live here.”

“Trust me, it isn’t that great. But this is my favorite spot - me and Onee-chan used to come here all the time,” Yukiho plucked a few dandelions, brushing her fingers over the yellow petals, “Do you… do you like it?”

“I love it.”

It wasn’t hard to see Yukiho’s face light up, the redhead quickly ducking her face down to focus on the flowers in her hands. Arisa smiled to herself, playing with a few strands of grass. She loved the atmosphere of the town. She loved having a ghostly roommate her age and being able to spend time with her sister, away from the prying eyes of the congregation. Most of all, she loved her time with Yukiho. It hurt to imagine that almost half their time together had already passed. In 18 days (and yes, she was counting) Arisa would be back home - back to freshly melted snow and mountains and high walls and reminders about who she is, who she was expected to be. 

“I’m, uh, really glad you like it,” Yukiho muttered, tying the stems of the dandelions together, “Because, y’know, I really like you and I didn’t want to - like - weird you out or something. Like, what if you didn’t like high places or were like allergic to grass or something?” 

She was babbling. It was another nervous habit Arisa had noticed. The blonde blushed a little, it was obvious they had something going on between them. Something more than just friendship, but it still made Arisa’s heart flutter to hear it from Yukiho’s lips. “Say it again.”

“Say what again?”

“Say that you really like me,” Arisa responded, turning to face Yukiho, leaning in closer, “Because I really like you too.”

Yukiho’s face was bright red, and Arisa could feel the blush on her own face too. But she needed to get it out. They only had a little time together. Who knows when Arisa could come to Otonokizaka again? What if by then, these feelings - Yukiho’s feelings - had long become cold? The anxiety ate away at Arisa, so she wanted to make the most of it before that happened. She needed to cement what they were once and for all. 

That’s when Yukiho moved. She leaned forward, closing the distance between their lips. A hand rested on Arisa’s cheek, keeping her still. The blonde felt like she was melting, leaning into the touch and letting one hand travel up to tangle itself in Yukiho’s hair. It didn’t stop with one kiss - or two, or three. Little kisses on the edges of lips, on noses, and cheeks were scattered in between each touch of their lips. It didn’t go any further than that - but that was fine. Arisa let herself get carried away before it eventually came to an end.

Both of them were a little out of breath, their last kiss going for longer than either could bear. They leaned on each other’s foreheads and Yukiho whispered, “Arisa - I think I like you, in a gay way.”

Arisa giggled, her voice breathy and foreign sounding, “I think I like you in a gay way too,” she looked into the redhead’s eyes, “Is that okay?”

“Totally.” Yukiho said as she placed the crown of dandelions on Arisa’s head. It fit perfectly, the bright flowers standing out against her pale blonde hair. “That’s totally cool.”

-:-

Eli was wrapping bandages around her fingers. That makes this the… sixth (?) botched summoning this week. As she thought, there was no way she could pull something like this off with her meager spiritual ability. Since the first summoning, she had only been able to talk to Frost once more and it was as taciturn as ever. All she learned the second time was that it really took a long time to think of what to say. Frost barely took control of her and when it did, no one seemed to notice anything was different. According to Yukiho, all it did was quietly follow whatever orders it had been given. She even joked that it was a better worker than Eli.

Sighing, the blonde moved her fingers, making sure the bandages weren’t too tight before glancing up at Arisa. Her little sister was sitting on the bed, going on about… Something. Shit, she should probably be listening. Arisa was lying on her back, kicking her legs in the air excitedly.

“-went to the shops in town and Yukiho bought me this really cute hairpin. Isn’t she sweet? I’m really happy she likes me back. Big sister, are you listening?”

She sat up, pouting a little. Eli nervously rubbed the back of her neck, “O-Of course I am Arisa. It sounds like you had a really great time, I’m happy for you.” She smiled, reaching out a hand to take Arisa’s, “But I should let Yukiho know what will happen if she breaks your heart.”

“Oh geez big sister, you don’t need to be so overprotective,” Arisa gave Eli a soft punch on the arm, “Besides, isn’t there someone you should introduce me to?”

Eli blushed, hiding her face behind a hand, “It’s no big deal. Besides, I need to figure this out before I can even think about showing my face back there.”

Biting her lip, Eli could feel Arisa staring at her. The younger girl’s gaze was hard and unmoving. She was deep in thought, breaking apart Eli and piecing her back together into something understandable, with the rawest parts open to see. This was something else Arisa was good at - she could see things about people, all the good and bad parts, and tell them what they needed to hear. She would never push them, but she also wouldn’t hold back on her criticism. 

“Big sister, are you afraid?” Arisa spoke unflinchingly. “What happened and why did you run away?”

The words stung Eli. “Run away.” No matter how cowardly it sounded, that’s what she had done. Instead of facing the issue and dealing with it, she ran off. She left those girls with nothing after giving them hope. And now she was too scared to go back. What exactly was she afraid of? That they would be angry? She knew those girls, they would forgive her. Was she afraid of Zagreus? Maybe.

She was afraid of Nozomi.

Eyes like the ocean and a body like waves, her gaze enveloped Eli like water. It was dangerous because Eli didn’t know what to do when she faced her again. What would she do underneath those eyes? Would they be filled with disappointment? Fear? Happiness? And what if Eli couldn’t look at Nozomi, too consumed by memories of what happened? If Nozomi was the ocean, Eli was afraid of drowning - if she wasn’t being pulled down already.

“I- I am afraid. I don’t know about what but I am afraid of going back. Like this.”

“You can’t stay away forever big sister.”

“I know,” Eli took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady, “But something really bad happened back there. And I don’t know if I can ever look at her again.”

Arisa didn’t pry. She knew that some things were better left unsaid and that Eli would open up about it when she felt more comfortable. Curling her fingers inward, Arisa mumbled underneath her breath, “But you want to, don’t you big sister? You can’t avoid it forever and you have a job to do here. If she is as wonderful as you wrote to me and if you care for her so much - you should, no, you need to go back.

“I know that it’s scary big sister, but you can’t just run away forever. Especially now that Frost is here too.” She jumped off the bed, spinning around towards the window. “I’m leaving in two weeks. And when I leave I think it’d be best for you to go back to the mansion or come back home with me.”

“Arisa, what are you saying? Go back?” Eli was shocked at the thought of going back a failure. But it also dawned on her that the more she stayed away from the mansion the more she was giving up on her task. No, it was more than just some task now. She wanted to help them - to help herself - and get rid of those demons. The incident from before still throbbed in her heart like a bruise, worn and lingering. But was it enough to stop her?

The moon shone in the sky as Arisa pulled up the window blinds and stared up at the stars, “I think you’re the bravest person I know, big sister. So I know that you’ll go back - even if I’m worried and want you to go back home, you’ll go back to that mansion. Because you care a lot about the girls there. About Miss Toujou.”

Eli watched as Arisa left the door, slowly closing the door behind her. Leaning onto the bed frame, Eli looked over the bandages on her fingers again. She did want to go back. But there was no way she could like this. Frost was inside of her and this was a precious chance to understand something about the nature of these demons personally. If only she had enough spiritual power to give herself enough time to really talk to it. 

She got up, walking towards the window and looking up at the moon. It stood right on top of the mountains, resting like a jewel on its pedestal. Was it full moon that night too? Eli forgets and closes her eyes. The memories play over in her mind and they still choke the air out of her throat. Opening her eyes again, Eli reminds herself where she is and feels comforted by the light of the moon on her skin. A breeze rolls in and slides over her bare forearms. She looks at the moon and mountains again.

Wait a second. 

The mountains.

Eli jerked her head around to her bags. That was it. She dug around inside of her suitcase until she found it, a folded up newspaper with three girls posing on the front cover. There was a way to talk to Frost for long periods of time, even with her miniscule spiritual power. Grabbing a few papers, Eli slammed them down onto the small desk in the room, hurriedly dipping the pen in ink before scribbling down her message.

It would have to be sent right tomorrow morning if she hoped to arrange things properly by the time Yukiho left. Though cars were very useful, the mail still took some time to move around, especially in the mountains. Eli explained everything in her letter, wracking her brain for any details she was forgetting. When she was finally satisfied, it was sealed into an envelope adorned with the Ayase family emblem. There was no way they would ignore it now. Smiling to herself, Eli stretched out her arms before writing down the address. 

If it was these three, Eli was sure she could discover something.

-:-

“So you’re leaving pretty soon huh?”

It had been another week since Yukiho took her up onto that grassy hill and they shared a kiss. Arisa pushed around a piece of her lunch with her fork and gave Yukiho a solemn nod. The time she spent with the redhead always felt like forever, but when they parted it was as if they had only spent a few minutes together. When she voiced her complaints to Megumi, the ghost had only sighed wistfully and said something about young love.

“I wish I could stay longer, but Mother and Father need me back to prepare for the Spring-Summer Festival.”

“Your town sure does have a lot of festivals,” Yukiho sipped at her drink, “And you’re so important to them all.”

“It’s always been like that. The chosen member of the Ayase family is the one closest to God and the spirits after all.” Arisa gave a meek smile and traced along her tattoo. Yukiho reached a hand across the cafe’s table and her fingers obscured the black lines from view.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

After paying for their lunch, the two wandered around town talking about whatever came up. The topic of Arisa leaving didn’t appear as they eventually found themselves near the gates of the mansion. It was an old, imposing building. The brick walls had ivy growing on them and the large windows were obscured by white curtains. Highlighting the rock pathway up towards the door was a row of flowers on either side, mismatched but placed with love and care. Looking up into the windows, Arisa swore she saw the fluttering of curtains before everything was still.

Yukiho held her hand on the metal of the gate. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her grip was iron tight on the bars. Arisa took a hand and placed a gentle kiss on Yukiho’s knuckles. The redhead let out a sigh and leaned her forehead on Arisa’s shoulder. Linking their fingers together, they continued walking along the outside fence. Brick and cement all that was separating Yukiho from her sister. To Arisa, the existence of those girls were in ink on the letters Eli had written to her sitting back a ship’s voyage away.

“Does it hurt, Yukiho?” Arisa brushed aside Yukiho’s bangs, tracing her thumb along the outer edges of the burn scar. It stood out against her slightly tanned skin, a constant reminder of her sister shut behind metal bars and high walls. 

“Mmm, sometimes. It used to ache pretty often but now it rarely happens.” Yukiho put a hand over the blonde’s, a silent reassurance. “I guess it really stands out. Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I mean, you’re so pretty,” she bit her lip and pulled Arisa’s hand away, “And the first thing people notice about me is this. They see it and think, this is the girl that was attacked by her own sister, how sad. But they don’t get that Onee-chan isn’t the one who did this. 

“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I don’t want them to hate Onee-chan. To them, Onee-chan and Ferdinand are one and the same. Well they’re not - and I’ll tell them off every time. But you, Arisa, you’re like, amazing, you know? You don’t need to worry about that.”

Arisa shifted her feet, walking with Yukiho through the forest, climbing over tree stumps and rocks, “I have other stuff to worry about though. People always treat me like I’m perfect, like I’m something they can’t get close to. It’s lonely. I mean, I love my family but I’ve always wanted to know people my age who don’t see me as some relic. Just, another girl. I’m not amazing or perfect or anything.”

“Ah, sorry.” Yukiho rubbed the back of her head. They were back at that grassy hill and Yukiho sat on the ground, closer to the edge this time. Arisa sat next to her and threaded her fingers through the grass. A breeze rolled in and even though it was spring, she could see Yukiho shiver. Taking off her cloak, Arisa draped the cloth over the redhead’s shoulders. “I - I mean, I do see you like another girl. But, like, it’s kind of like the prince and the pauper, you know?”

Arisa let out an agreeing hum and looked out across the town, “Maybe.” She brought her knees up to her chest, leaning onto Yukiho’s arm. “When I first saw you, I thought you were the prettiest girl ever.”

“What? You’re totally lying,” Yukiho was bright red, focusing on twisting the petals on a dandelion, “Liar.”

“It’s true,” Arisa smiled, bringing her knees closer, “And when I learned what had happened with you and Miss Honoka, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Poor Yukiho, being attacked by her own sister.’ Well, now I know that a demon and their host are very different but at the time, I had such a thought. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry for thinking you were perfect.” Yukiho smiled into her palm, tucking the dandelion behind the blonde’s ear, “Truce?”

“Truce.”

The two linked their fingers together and watched as the sun slowly began to creep downwards and dyed the town a mix of oranges and reds. It shone off the buildings and dark mountains, beaming brightly on the two sitting on the hill. Arisa tried to memorize the shape of Yukiho’s hand, each bump and crease of the skin and where the calluses became soft. She stared up at Yukiho’s face and thought that if her sister was the bravest person she knew, Yukiho must be the second bravest. 

“We should head back before it gets too dark.” Yukiho moved to get up, but let out a yelp as Arisa suddenly shifted their position to pin down the redhead. Rapidly blinking in surprise, Yukiho was about to question the situation when Arisa pressed her lips down. Sighing into the kiss, she let her hands rest on Arisa’s hips as the blonde’s lips traced down to the edges of scarred skin.

“I think you’re amazing Yukiho,” Arisa whispered, kissing along the scar, “Your personality, your bravery, your scars - everything about you - is amazing.”

“Mmm, then you can’t argue when I say you’re amazing anymore.” Yukiho chuckled into the blonde’s shoulder, propping herself up on her elbows. She brought Arisa into another kiss, vaguely aware that Arisa was sitting in her lap right now. They leaned their foreheads on one another, the light of the sunset growing dimmer each minute. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Yeah.”

“I promise I’ll write to you. And I’ll even convince Mom to add that weird manju you made to our store. It tasted pretty good, no matter how much I teased you about it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“... Will you be back?”

Arisa kissed Yukiho’s cheek, looking her square in the eyes, “I swear on the blood of the Ayase clan. I’ll come back to visit, and one day you can come visit my village too! I promise.” 

Yukiho’s fingers traced the cross tattoo, placing a gentle kiss on the ink. It was a different type of scar, but one that also symbolized Arisa’s burdens. “I like you a lot.”

“I like you a lot too.” Arisa grinned, helping Yukiho up and tying the string of the cloak. It was nearly dark now and the two carefully made their way towards Arisa’s inn. They shared another kiss at the door and Yukiho hastily returned the cloak, insisting that she was fine making the short trip back to the bakery. The redhead quickly returned home and was greeted to Eli moving around the day’s goods after the shop had closed. 

“Wait, let me help you Eli-san.” Yukiho approached the older girl who was working with much more energy than usual.

“Thank you Yukiho,” she smiled. The redhead cocked her brow, tilting her head to one side.

“Did something good happen? You seem awfully… chipper.”

“Something good did happen. Something very good.” There was a glint in Eli’s eyes. Yukiho recognized that look. It was the same look Eli had when she suggested they sneak into the mansion, when they first met. She was planning something, filled with determination and confidence. For the weeks she had been staying at the bakery, this was the first time Yukiho had seen that look in Eli’s eyes. 

“I see, that’s nice.” Yukiho smiled, hoping to convey her feelings through the small expression. That light in her eyes, was really similar to how she remembered Honoka would look.

After dinner, Eli rushed up to her room and read the letter over again for the tenth time that day. Everything should be ready. All she needed to do was make that journey one more time. One more time up the mountain and in through the large double doors. 

Then, she felt she could finally go back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for waiting for this GAY ASS UPDATE  
> comment below or shoot me an ask at hb48.tumblr.com about this ch if you liked it!!! also godbear999.tumblr.com posted the third yr demon designs so check them out and give em a reblog here!!!   
> http://godbear999.tumblr.com/post/142208382072/finally-here-they-are-the-worst-memes-the


	17. Goodbye and Hello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING SO PATIENT W ME LMAO ILU

The wind rolled over the waves of the seaside and Arisa dug her boots into the sand. Eli and Yukiho’s dad were busy helping to move her luggage into the boat that would take her back home. So the two girls were just waiting idly on small patches of sand that littered the empty portions of the docks. Waves came dangerously close to licking up the thick fabric of the boots before Arisa dragged her foot back. Yukiho was sitting on a rock, rolling a pebble between her fingers and staring at the boat as if that would drill a hole in the hull, delaying Arisa’s trip. But there was no mysterious hole and soon they were being called back onto the docks. 

Yukiho held tightly onto Arisa’s hand as they walked up the creaking stairs. As soon as she saw them, Eli ran to Arisa and enveloped her in a tight hug. The younger girl felt herself tear up as Eli pat her on the head, stroking her hair gently. Both knew what was going to happen. Eli had told Arisa her plans last night and though the two argued, they agreed that this was the best course of action to take. Arisa’s hands trembled as she balled up the back of Eli’s shirt in her hands. 

“Please stay safe, big sister.” Arisa whispered, unwilling to let go. Eli kissed the top of her head, letting the younger girl bury her face in her neck. 

“I swear,” she closed her eyes, feeling the press of Arisa’s wrist desperately on her back, “In the name of our Lord, that I’ll stay safe.” 

Wiping her eyes, Arisa finally let go and looked up at Eli. In the short time that she had been there, she had seen her older sister in many different ways. Touching the inside of her wrist, where her cross lay, to the center of Eli’s back one more time, she kissed her sister on the cheek. Eli gave her another kiss on the forehead and smiled, stroking her cheek with her thumb. Arisa turned to face Yukiho, who stood with her hands in tight, shaking fists and wordlessly took the redhead’s hands.

“Yukiho, I-” she started, but was cut off by Yukiho’s kiss. They stood for a few moments, lips slowly pulling apart as Arisa blushed bright red at the sudden move.

“I love you, Arisa.” The words crashed around the blonde’s ears and she could almost feel Eli’s shocked face in the background. Yukiho’s parents just smiled and stood to the side as the girl fumbled with starting her sentence, “I-I don’t - I know it’s really early and we’ve only known each other for a little bit but uh, I really - think you’re amazing! I like you a whole lot! So I’ll wait for you to come back, or I’ll go visit you myself.”

Understandably, Arisa was completely floored. They were only sixteen, weren’t declarations of love at this age what got most people killed? Or was that just Romeo and Juliet? Both of them stood quiet, faces bright red and staring at the spaces between the wooden planks of the dock. Quietly, Arisa leaned in closer, their lips barely inches apart as their foreheads brushed against each other.

“I - I don’t really understand, but I think I love you too, Yukiho.” Arisa whispered into the small space between them. She smiled softly, taking Yukiho’s hands and kissing the knuckles, “I’ll promise to be back soon.”

Choking back tears, the redhead nodded and hugged Arisa tightly. They stayed in each other’s embrace until the honk of the boat’s horn resounded in the air, signaling that their time together really was over. Arisa kissed Yukiho one more time and then ran up the stairs that lead onto the deck. Waving wildly, Arisa grinned with tears welling up in her eyes as the boat began to pull away. Yukiho ran after it as far as she could until the wood beneath her feet finally ran out and all that stood in front of her were the rise and fall of the sea. Running to the back of the boat, Arisa waved until she couldn’t see the docks anymore. 

Arisa dug through her pockets until her fingers brushed against the smooth metal of a single, red hairpin. Affixing it to her hair, Arisa wiped her eyes and smiled at the tiny weight of the pin. This trip was meant to be an escape from her usual duties back at home, a bit of relaxation in her busy life. But somehow, Arisa had been kept busier than ever, running around with Yukiho and helping Eli with her demons - both literal and figurative. There was a tinge of regret and fear in her heart. She couldn’t help Eli much and her older sister was likely still burdened by what happened back at the mansion. Eli was going to do something dangerous and Arisa couldn’t be there to help. So, putting her hands together and taking another look back in the direction of Otonokizaka, Arisa prayed. It was all she could do.

-:-

Eli flipped one last time through the town records. Turns out the fabled “cursed” baron Honoka had told her about really did exist. There were conflicting accounts of his life, one newspaper claimed he really was descended from a cruel, ruthless king and another even accused him of creating a deal with the devil. However, according to the town record, he just seemed to be a man who softened up considerably with old age. He left his estate behind and his will, which gifted his property to the town, was filed away neatly in the basement of the town hall, where Eli thumbed through the old pages. 

Yawning into the crook of her arm, Eli added the file to the small stack of documents she had been collecting all day. She intended to look over them with a bit more scrutiny on her way up the mountain. Shielding her eyes from the sudden surge of light as she left the basement, she saw someone waiting at the bottom of the large stairs in the hall’s foyer.

“Good day, Miss Minami.” Eli bowed respectfully, tucking the documents under one arm and extending out a hand. The mayor smiled and shook the younger girl’s hand, motioning for her to raise her head.

“It is quite unusual for you to be over here Miss Eli. I understand you wish to take a car up the mountain again and I’m happy to provide for you. But why the sudden interest in such old, faded documents?”

“I have a theory,” the blonde picked a folder from the stack and opened it up to a collection of newspaper clippings, “What if something did happen to the baron? It may seem strange and fantastic, but we are currently dealing with a very strange and fantastic situation. I wondered - what if the baron had been cursed, but with a demon? That would explain his sudden personality change. Although, I wonder…” 

There was something that had been bugging Eli, ever since this idea came up in her head during Arisa’s stay. When was the baron possessed? If she asked herself months ago, back on the boat cutting through the chilling fall air, she would have said that it was the demon making him so bitter and angry - only after being freed from its grasp late in life did he return to the sweet man he must have been in his youth. But now, after so much time near these demons and with a demon of her own, Eli wasn’t so sure. Frost’s consciousness tugged at the back of her mind and there was no ill will there. The icy demon just seemed to want to work, as they would silently do whatever it was asked to do. Honoka’s mother had even joked that she wouldn’t mind it if they possessed Eli more often because it was a much better worker than the blonde.

“I see, that is a strange theory indeed. Certainly nothing I’ve ever even thought of. You really are talented aren’t you?” Mayor Minami smiled softly and patted Eli on the shoulder, “May I ask though, how is - how is Kotori doing? Is she alright? Her tone seemed strange in her letters.”

Eli gulped. She didn’t know how Kotori was doing, or at least how she was doing recently. By now she had been away for more than two months but the mayor made it sound as if she was still at the mansion. 

Oh.

That was probably what made Kotori’s letters sound so strange. She was writing as if Eli was still at the mansion. Guilt began to pool deep in the blonde’s gut and she wrung her hands nervously around the documents. “She’s doing fine, I don’t know why her letters might sound strange. I’m sorry.”

She lied through her teeth but the answer seemed to satisfy the mayor and she nodded, letting Eli quickly leave the building. The blonde didn’t look back until she returned to the bakery and up to her guest room. It was as if she had been holding her breath the entire way and she let out a low sigh. Even in all of this, those girls didn’t want to ruin her reputation. They cared for her. Eli knew that she couldn’t wait any longer. So what if it was a few days early? She was sure it wouldn’t be that big of an issue. 

That night, Eli was putting all her belongings in the trunk of the car. Not that it was much really. She would be leaving bright and early the next morning before the sun arose, so it would be more convenient to pack now. Double checking to make sure she had everything, Eli returned to the bakery where Yukiho was poking her head out from behind the doorway to the rest of the house. Eli raised her hand to wave, but the redhead just ducked her head away and ran off. Puzzled, she just shrugged her shoulders and went to go see if she could help with anything for dinner.

The next morning, Eli counted the coins on her palm before dropping them back into her pack. Her money should be able to last her for quite a bit if her trip ended up longer than expected. Adjusting her gloves and checking to make sure her tranquilizer gun was loaded, Eli began to pull away from the bakery when she saw someone dart out in her rearview mirror. Looking behind her, she saw a disheveled Yukiho run up to the driver’s window as Eli rolled down the window.

“Before you go!” Yukiho didn’t even bother with small talk as she shoved a small charm in Eli’s face. Confused, the blonde took it by the little bit of string used to make a loop. It was just big enough to fit in her palm and the loop could barely fit through two of her fingers. “It’s a good luck charm traditional to here. I even had the local shrine bless it and everything. I-I promised Arisa before she left that I’d make sure you didn’t do anything stupid - so think of this as me watching you or something… Wait no, that sounded really creepy didn’t it-?”

“Thank you.” Eli smiled warmly, pressing the thin fabric onto her palm, feeling the paper inside. She took off her necklace and undid the clasp on the back. The loop of the string slid easily down the metal beads and the charm rested next to the metallic cross. Eli put it back on, tucking both objects underneath the high collar of her shirt. 

“It’s no problem, alright? Just be careful. For Arisa’s sake.”

“Right, for her sake,” chuckling into her hand, Eli took Yukiho’s hand, “Arisa is very lucky to be in a relationship with you.” She planted a soft kiss on the younger girl’s hand and laughed when Yukiho went bright red. What should have been a quiet, solitary departure ended with Eli craning her arm out the window to Yukiho who stood in front of the bakery in the crisp spring air. 

Soon the town was behind her and Eli bit into one of the scones that Miss Kousaka had left out in a bag for her. Reaching under her collar, Eli pulled out the cross and charm. Thinking about the ministers back home, she smiled wryly at the thought of how harshly she would have been scolded if they saw her putting a pagan symbol so close to the cross. But no matter how strong her faith was, this small piece of paper wrapped in a fabric case held together by string was amazingly reassuring. Giving both objects a small squeeze with her hand, Eli looked up at the mountains looming above the forest. 

-:-

“Why if it isn’t Miss Eli, what a pleasure to see you!” Tsubasa grinned, hands tucked away into the sleeves of her robes feigning surprise. She knew Eli was visiting but liked making a grand show of things as always. Tsubasa lead Eli to the same room that she had stayed in before, as neat now as it was a few months ago. “Now, what brought you up the mountains to our humble little training grounds?”

Rolling her eyes slightly, Eli hid a smile behind the back of her hand, “You know why I’m here Tsubasa. I don’t intend to stay for long - just as long as it takes for this to work. I’m trusting you and the others to put in as much effort as I am.”

“Of course we will, I pride myself in my work. And I know Anju and Erena do as well,” Tsubasa’s tone grew serious, her brows knitting together, “Still, this is a risky plan even with all three of us working together. There’s no guarantee that you will come out of it without injury.”

Eli breathed in through her teeth, fully aware of the risk. She knew it ever since the first few drops of blood filled her mouth with the sickening, heavy taste of iron. Tsubasa understood and silently turned towards the door, giving a wave as she left the room. Unpacking her things, Eli made a mental note to pick up some more gifts on her way back down the mountain. Even though there was a sizable pile of knick-knacks carefully guarded in one corner of her suitcase, it was the least she could do as an apology for being gone for so long. 

The sun was beginning to dip underneath the high peaks and Eli decided to stroll around the building before it got too dark. She was so preoccupied the last time she visited, she never got a good look around. People were rushing around inside the halls, the sound of socks pattering on wood echoed as young acolytes lit candles and lanterns. The spring had brought with it fresh life into the courtyard that had previously been blanketed by snow. Flowers already bloomed, the petals reflecting the oranges and reds of the setting sun. Eli wandered through the halls and greeted everyone she met - reactions ranged from awe to embarrassment to respectfully curt. By the time she had circled almost the entire inner grounds, a thundering drum beat reverberated throughout the entire mountain side. Right at that moment, the last rays of the sun disappeared and everything became shrouded in darkness. There was a few moments of silence before things began moving again. It reminded Eli of hearing the evening prayer bell back in the Northern country.

Dinner was amazing and Eli was surprised to learn that Anju actually watched over the kitchen in her spare time. To be spiritually strong meant to excel in mundane work just as much as in your studies, Tsubasa reminded her with a smirk. Afterwards, Eli made her way to the bath but ran into the three proteges and, after some coercion, decided to join them. Bathing together was something Nozomi called a “traditional bonding experience” and not uncommon in the area. But Eli was much, much more used to this being a solitary activity and she couldn’t help it when her face lit up at the sight of the others undressing so casually. 

She was the last person to enter the large room, nervously inching her way to the tub where the others sat soaking themselves. Tsubasa motioned for her to sit and Eli took a tentative dip of her toe before allowing the water to envelop every tense muscle. It wasn’t scalding hot, but hot enough to seep through her skin and down the bone. Eli let out a content sigh and blushed when Anju giggled from next to her. 

“Comfortable?” Anju grinned, leaning a bit closer to Eli, “The water we use for the baths come from the springs higher up in the mountains. It contains many natural minerals that are great for the skin and for cleansing the mind.”

“Mmm, it is indeed very relaxing,” Eli mumbled, closing her eyes slowly, “I wish we used these instead of saunas where I’m from.”

“Well saunas sound amazing too-” the sentence was cut off as Eli felt a hand touch her shoulder, “If you don’t mind me asking, what is that on your back, Miss Eli?”

Opening her eyes, Eli looked at each of them in turn before sighing, “It’s a tattoo - a symbol of my position as the eldest daughter of my family.” She turned around so her back was facing the others. A large tattoo spread across her back, reaching across her shoulder blades and down the faint line of her spine to the edges of her hips. It was a single rose with leaves and stem made from unreadable scripture, a thorny vine wrapped around the petals. In the middle of the flower was an “R” written in reverse, standing in dark contrast to the reds and greens of the rose. Part of it was distorted by scar tissue that barely reached past the tips of the uppermost petals. “Though because I don’t have much spiritual power, it means little to nothing.”

Turning back around, the others looked at each other quietly. Eli splashed some water over the scar on her shoulder awkwardly, suffocating in the silence of the bath. Finally, Tsubasa took a deep breath and clapped her hands together, “Well, that is certainly an amazing sight. Look at all the things we learn about each other in the bath. Like for instance, Erena was deathly afraid of kappas until-”

“Tsubasa!” Erena yelled in protest, face going bright red, “Do NOT tell our guest something as useless as that!”

“Oh? But because of it we needed to take an extra two days with our inner mountain training since you were convinced there was a kappa in the tunnel’s hidden waterways.” Anju smirked, casually looking away when Erena shot her a look of indignation. 

“Um, what exactly is a ‘kappa’?” Eli struggled with the new word, inwardly cringing at her strange pronunciation. The others soon began explaining what a kappa was which lead to a lengthy discussion about youkai and other creatures native to this land. Thus, their bath was considerably longer than expected and by the time Eli was headed back to her room, most people had already retired to their rooms for the night. 

Stretching, Eli easily fell onto the futon and considered sleeping as she was instead of changing into her nightgown. After some deliberation she decided it would be best to get changed and sat up to unbutton her shirt. Down to just underwear, Eli looked over her body in the mirror. Vanity was a sin - sure - but the Ayase family was well known for two things: their spiritual ability and their appearance. From her father’s rugged, handsome face to her own lithe features and sharp cheekbones, beauty was in their blood. For once her body was free of the small cuts and bruises she had become accustomed to receiving from Furball’s “playing” or rougher encounters with Plague. Eli silently apologized for being vain and quickly changed into her nightgown, neatly packing away her underwear before lying down again.

Staring up at the ceiling, it was easy for sleep to overtake her and she let herself sink into the softness of the futon.

-:-

There was just one more ingredient to get before everything was ready. Eli rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath as she followed Erena up the steep mountain path. They had been out here since sunrise today and the day before, and the day before that. Turns out that there was a specific ritual to bring someone into their own conscious but for it to work properly using the energy of several mediums, there were a lot of very specific ingredients that needed to be gathered. It had already taken a week to prepare everything else so all that was left was collecting things that took a short time to process. Yesterday they looked for roots. The day before they collected polished stones from the river. Today they looked for a certain flower.

It was hours before they found it, growing alone on a small stone outcropping right underneath a cliff’s edge. Erena went down to retrieve it and Eli thanked God she wasn’t afraid of heights as she helped the other girl back up. The sun was high in the sky and there was a long way down the mountain back to the others. But before Eli could curse the return trip, she saw the large double doored gate in front of her eyes. It seemed like possession wasn’t all that bad afterall.

-:-

The room was mostly empty save for candles lined up against the walls to provide some light in the rapidly approaching twilight. Eli sat in the center of an intricate circle with several of the ingredients they had collected strewn around her and out towards each of the candles. She had been holding as still as possible while Tsubasa sat with Erena and Anju, performing prayer after prayer, ritual after ritual with the acolytes trying to peek through the screen door. Hair pulled back into a tight bun, Eli felt Tsubasa lean over and draw something on her forehead.

Sitting in silence, Eli quietly apologized to her family. This was partaking in a clearly pagan ritual. The results were the same as their own but according to Tsubasa this would be much more powerful and less taxing on her body - it was a traditional ritual used in this region to communicate with the inhuman for centuries. She could imagine the piercing look her father was probably sending her and her mother clutching at her cross. But her parent’s opinion doesn’t matter right now. Eli was sent here on a mission and she would do what she needed to do to fulfill her obligation. It was bigger than just keeping her standing in the family now. 

“Are you ready, Miss Eli?” Tsubasa’s voice was barely above a whisper, leaning in just inches away from Eli’s face, “If you are I need you to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax. Just let the energy move along.”

Without a word, Eli did as she was told, attempting to empty her mind of as much as she could. There was a small creeping sensation in the tips of her fingers and somewhere in the back of her mind she felt Tsubasa’s lips press against her cheek. Then it felt as if Eli’s body had been shot with electricity, her veins pulsed and the air was shot out of her lungs. Lurching forward, she collapsed onto the floor but now it wasn’t the wooden panels she had been sitting on. 

Once again, she was in the all white room. The throne was there and in the seat was an eerie form similar to a specter. Eli realized that maybe the reason her own ritual kicked her out after some time was that they left this “seat” open. But her thoughts were cut off as a soft plop echoed through the room. Frost sat across from Eli, its gaze unmoving as she slowly got up and exercised her limbs. Once Eli sat down its ears perked up and slowly blinked.

“Hello again, it’s been a while,” she tried to smile, and extended a shaky hand out. Frost looked down at it, looked back up, and then back down. Slowly, a gooey arm unstuck from its body and stretched out to meet with Eli’s. It felt like wet clay wrapping around her hand but leaving nothing behind. It was also icy cold. 

“So, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Eli drew her hand back and attempted to wipe off the non-existent goo on her pants, “I know that - Look, demons can leave a person’s body right? But I know that sometimes an exorcism isn’t necessary. There have been accounts of possession throughout this town’s history but only about half of them ended through exorcism, another third died possessed. The last third however, seemed to lose their possession but without any intervention. How is that possible?”

Frost was thinking. The gear’s in its head were turning at its usual snail’s pace. It stared at Eli this entire time, unmoving except for the occasional blink. After a few minutes Frost finally opened its mouth, breathing out a small exhale. “The human and the demon need to come to… an agreement. If they are both satisfied, the demon will… exit the human’s body.” 

It contently closed its eyes before looking back at Eli. “What kind of agreements are these? What do you demons want?”

Another several minutes in wait for a response. Eli was getting a little used to the time it took for the demon to formulate its words. “We are individuals, like humans. Each of us has their own unique… wants and needs.”

“What do you want?”

This really got Frost thinking. It closed its eyes, tucking its chin into its chest and really contemplating. A few minutes passed, then a few more, and then a few more… There was no clock in this empty room that was her consciousness so Eli was only left to guess that anywhere between five to twenty minutes passed waiting for an answer. She had mapped out the continuously changing paths of the floating blocks and stared at the ghostly, unmoving figure on the throne. Just when she was about to start counting the stitchings on her tank top, Frost took its usually little breath.

“I like doing work. I’m not… a very good…. Leader. I would like to quietly do some work without worrying about much. Stability is what you could call it.” Content with its answer, Frost sat back on its haunches and looked expectantly at Eli. This was much more - ordinary than she expected. While she had been confident her hypothesis was correct, she was expecting a much more “sell your soul” situation. Now a demon was offering to leave her body just for some simple, monotonous work. 

This couldn’t be right.

“Is that really it?” Frost nodded, “Seriously? Nothing else? No potential moments for you to take advantage of the situation and destroy me?” 

Frost just shook its head and stared with its piercing eyes. The idea that a demon seemed trustworthy went against everything Eli had ever been taught, but Frost seemed nothing short of honestly sincere. It was crushing to think that everything she’d known was wrong. Yet Eli felt a little relieved, knowing that there was a way to save the others.

“Did you like the work you did at the bakery?” Eli asked, smiling a tired smile, “Or was it a little too much? You don’t seem very strong.”

“... It was nice. However, it was too… busy on occasion. I would like something… calmer.” Frost paddled over on its long feet and looked up at Eli. Its ears twitched slightly as she reached out a hand towards it and gave it a pat on the head. The fur on Frost’s head was still cold, but soft unlike its gooey arms. 

“Perhaps you’d like to follow me back home? We could always use more hands around the mansion with how much trouble the others can cause,” Eli said, giggling as Frost held onto her hand, “Would you like that?” 

Frost silently nodded. It got its thinking eyes, rolling words around its head before saying, “I will wait until you are ready. A demon leaving the body can be… very physically taxing. Once you have made a decision, I will know.” 

“Thank you Frost,” Eli got up, looking over at the throne, “I have to go now. But I have one more question. Is it possible a demon could be kinder than its host?”  
The pause barely lasted for a few minutes before Frost replied, “Yes. It is possible. Sometimes, humans can be… very bad.”

“That’s all I needed to know.” Looking at the specter sitting on the throne, Eli easily phased through it with her hand. The shape scattered like dust and the same shock rang through her body - breathless, she opened her eyes to see Tsubasa across from her. Tsubasa smiled, a thin line of sweat along the top of her forehead and eyes full of pride. She helped Eli up and soon Erena and Anju were at their sides. They were all beaming, congratulating each other and stretching out their stiff muscles. 

In bed that night, Eli rolled a vial of holy water between her fingers, watching the light bounce off the rolls of the water. She wondered whether she really was ready to go back - if she could ever be ready. But then, Eli remebered what she told Frost: “Perhaps you would like to follow me back home.”

Home.

That mansion was her home. Closing her eyes, Eli smiled softly at the thought. She was going back home. And Eli knew she could rely on the people there to help her cope, no matter how scared she was. Finally, things seemed to be falling into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LONG ASS CHAPTER  
> but anyway heres the month+ waited update lmao i hope you guys all like this ch and along w this v late release there is a link to a cool drawpile and godbear999 did with all the demons and their hosts! so check that out below u cool and lovely peeps and as always comment or come yell at me @hb48.tumblr.com  
> DRAWPILE LINK ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IEAtRmeleA


	18. It's Been Too Long

Drip.

The coffee machine slowly brewed Nozomi’s morning cup. She took out a carton of cream and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It had been another tumultuous night of sleep - one of the many she had suffered in the last few months. Rolling the ceramic around in her hands, Nozomi found her eyes wandering to the small tin of chocolate powder next to the lines of tea leaves and coffee beans. There was a thin layer of dust gathering on the lid since no one dared to touch it. The cartoon fox on the metal seemed to be mocking Nozomi, her hair mussed up and bags underneath her eyes. 

Nozomi shuddered as the hot coffee scalded her tongue, waking her up enough to start on breakfast. She began taking out the ingredients for the day’s omelettes when she heard a soft sputtering outside. It was probably the mail carrier, going around on his morning rounds with his little delivery car. But then there was a creaking. The distinctive sound of an old, metal gate swinging open. No one should have been able to open that gate except for them, especially someone with a car. Almost dropping her mug onto the ground, Nozomi ran towards the door and flung it open.

Eli stood in front of the gate, bags piled high in her arms and staring blankly ahead. That dumb, wide eyed look on her face she got when she was unsure about what to do - feet tethered into the ground.

Before Nozomi could move, she felt the others dash past her and towards Eli. She wasn’t even sure when they were downstairs or how they knew. They just did. Each of them were yelling one thing or another - jumping onto Eli and grabbing onto her. Although confused, Eli hugged each of them in turn. She was grinning from ear to ear, fatigue evident in her face but joy still shining through. Nozomi felt a thousand emotions at once, and both seemed stuck to the spot they were standing in.

Eli yelped when she felt someone pounce onto her back. The tanned arms lightly dusted with freckles means it was probably Furball-

“Aaaaaaaah! I missed you so much Eli-chan!” Rin was grinning. The expression was evident in her voice alone as she buried her face into the crook of Eli’s neck. Though a little shocked, both that she assumed it was Furball and that it turned out not to be, Eli reached an arm back and pat Rin on the head. 

After the initial rush had passed, Eli finally looked back at the door. Everyone seemed to understand and backed off, Rin dropped from her back to go back to Hanayo. Her legs felt like lead. But something forced her to move forward. Nozomi stayed still, her expression a mix of shock, surprise, and elation. They stood in front of each other in silence for a minute. Both unsure of what to say or do. Shaking out her nerves, Eli reached out a hand and put it on Nozomi’s shoulder. Without thinking it moved up to cup her cheek. Nozomi silently leaned into the touch and eyes like the sea and sky stared up at Eli. 

“Nozomi, I-”

There was a loud thumping down the stairs and a resounding crash. Looking into the mansion, Eli saw Nico scramble to get up from her fall to the bottom of the stairs. The shorter girl ran, with a noticeable limp, and instead of being greeted with a “hello” or a hug, Nico gave her a solid punch in the gut. 

“Ksh-!? Wh-What the-?” Eli was sure that was going to bruise. Damn Nico could punch hard for how small she looked. Maybe Plague had been slowly increasing her strength? 

“You think you can show your face here so easily Ayase!?” Nico made use of her small frame and puffed herself out, like a bird showing off its feathers, “After leaving without saying anything? You fucking stupid blonde giant!”

Before Eli could apologize, two small arms wrapped around her neck and dragged her down. It took all her balance to make sure she didn’t topple over. Nico had pulled her into a very unexpected kiss. They were in an extremely awkward position; Eli hunched over and Nico taking on most of the weight. She was also hyper aware of Nozomi’s bewildered expression right next to them. And she was pretty sure Maki was glaring daggers right into her back.

It was… nice to be home?

-:-

“Come on Nozomi, it wasn’t that funny…” Eli muttered, nervously tucking a hair behind her ear. Nozomi was curled into a ball of giggles and chortles on top of the freshly made bed. In the mirror, Eli gently prodded the still red skin on her cheek. It still stung, just a little bit.

“I-I’m sorry Elicchi. It’s just Maki-chan got so red and then she missed the first time and the way her face scrunched up was just-” She burst out into another fit of laughter, hitting the sheets with one hand and fanning herself with the other. Eli sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Nozomi to calm down - a calm settling in the air around them. “I am sorry Elicchi. For, um, a lot of things.”

“That’s not- I want to say sorry too. For leaving. It was awful of me to abandon you, the girls, this house, my job… I was a coward. Can you forgive me?” Eli cupped Nozomi’s cheek with one hand, caressing her cheek with her thumb. Nozomi smiled softly, vulnerable in every way as she turned her head to kiss Eli’s palm. 

“If only you can forgive me.” They embraced, Eli letting out a pleased sigh as their bodies naturally slotted against each other. With a tug, Nozomi brought them both down onto the bed, laying next to each other with their faces mere inches apart. Eli had been so scared while she was away. Scared that she would flinch away from Nozomi’s touch, that their relationship was irreparable. But it was just the opposite. They found comfort in each other’s touch, at the soft brush of their skin when they moved their legs. And though their relationship was different, the atmosphere between them was different, right now it was nothing but blissful. As if through their touches and between breaths, they were reassuring each other of their feelings - that they were sincere and would work through everything together. 

Nozomi tugged Eli closer, the other girl shifting forward and wrapping her arms around Nozomi’s waist. Smiling to herself, Nozomi rested her chin on Eli’s shoulder. With a slight turn of her head, Nozomi pressed a quick kiss on Eli’s jaw, right under her ear. Eli made a very ungraceful squeak and went red in the face, “N-Nozomi!” 

She expected to see Nozomi laughing or grinning when she pulled her head back, but was just met with a face of disbelief. “Elicchi, let me feel your neck.” Without much protest, Eli let Nozomi wrap her hands around her neck. It made her stomach tie into a knot, and anxiety began to bubble in her gut. Nozomi’s hands felt like hot fire on her skin, burning and leaving scars even though they were barely making any contact. Her fingers traced lines up to Eli’s cheeks and she let out a small gasp as they pulled away. 

“Are you cold? You’re skin feels like you’ve been out in the snow.” Nozomi stared up at her worriedly. Eli hadn’t noticed it until now, but her hands were shaking. She thought it was just nervousness but there was definitely something else. There was a deep cold that penetrated down to her bones. The kind of cold she was used to feeling in the forests of her home, not in a spring afternoon. Before she could speak, Nozomi was already up and looking around for a spare blanket. Eli wrapped herself up in the cloth but the chills persisted, like they were coming from somewhere deep within her body.

“Ah- I guess it’s starting now.” Eli muttered and let out a defeated sigh, “Nozomi, there’s something I need to tell you and the others. Can you bring everyone up here?” 

Without a word, Nozomi nodded and ran downstairs.  
It didn’t take long for everyone to gather together in the small room. Their expressions ranged from concerned to bewildered as Eli wrapped a third blanket around herself as the sun shone outside. Trying to keep the shaking out of her voice, Eli sat up straight. “Due to some… unfortunate circumstances, during my time away I’ve been possessed with a demon just like all of you.”

There was a resounding gasp, like something out of a script as each of them flew into a stream of questions. Eli waited until they all realized she wasn’t answering them and settled down, “Ahem, as I was saying - I have a demon. But through some help, I was able to communicate with my demon. Their name is Frost and they agreed to be exorcised. What you’re seeing here is the exorcism taking place.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Honoka raised her hand and piped up, “How did you talk to your demon? When they show up you kinda go clonk until they leave then it's like, poof! You’re back!”

“There’s a variety of rituals that you can use to send someone into their own mind. Both my family and the ARISE group have their own methods. Though I was only able to give myself ample time to communicate with Frost after enlisting the help of Tsubasa and the others, I believe this constant cold chill is the beginning of the exorcism.” 

The others stared at Eli like she had grown a third head. “Wait a second,” Nico put up her hand to signal the others not to interrupt, “Aren’t exorcisms a little… flashier than this? I’ve been studying this type of stuff since I was a kid, all the pictures show people fainting or convulsing. Are you sure you won’t, like, go into violent fits of pain or something?”

“Well that’s when your purpose is to expel the demon. Here, we just want it to leave our bodies - not necessarily send it back to hell. And because it’s a mutual agreement, the process is logically less violent.” The others each piped up with their own questions which Eli tried to answer through her chattering teeth. Every muscle was tense with cold and her toes began to feel numb. Actually, it didn’t just feel numb. It was as if something was slowly crawling up her legs. 

Tearing off the blankets, Eli kicked away her shoes and socks. Everyone went still as they saw a thin layer of ice covering her feet. It was beginning to crawl up Eli’s ankles, inching up at a snail’s pace. This threw the room into a state of chaos as half the girls wanted to watch while the other half panicked about Eli dying. 

“E-Eli-san! Are you okay? You’ll get frostbite like this!” Hanayo yelled, throwing a variety of small towels on the blonde’s feet.

“S-Stupid-! She’s already getting frostbite!” Maki screamed back, “We need hot water!” 

Several of the girls ran downstairs to the kitchen to fetch a basin of hot water as the rest bombarded Eli with questions. Was she okay? Did it hurt? How fast was it moving? How did it feel? Will this leave scars? 

“Hold on girls,” Eli pushed away the crowd gathered around her. Maki, Hanayo, Kotori, and Nozomi surrounded her - all of them visibly concerned. “I think it’s best if I got undressed. This ice, or whatever it is, seems to be moving across my entire body. It’ll be easiest to observe without my clothes.”

All of them nodded as Eli shakily began to undo her shirt. Soon, her trousers and undershirt were in a pile on the floor, leaving Eli in just her underwear. It was hard to ignore the obvious stares from the other girls, ranging from embarassed (Hanayo/Maki) to fascinated (Kotori/Nozomi). The ice had crept halfway up her shins by now. Besides a numbness, there wasn’t anything painful about the process. It felt like she was slowly being frozen, the deep cold in her bones being replaced with feeling nothing at all. Maybe she would get frostbite.

“Elicchi, you never told me you had a back tattoo…” Nozomi piped up from behind. Her fingers traced hot lines down Eli’s back and she bit her lip to hold back a groan. Whether it was from pain or pleasure was up for debate.

“Mmm - I do. It was meant to brand me as the eldest daughter and the eventual heir to my family’s temple,” Eli shifted slightly, suddenly uncomfortable about all the eyes on her, “Though it’s presently useless.”

“It’s so beautiful,” Hanayo smiled, eyes wide in amazement, “Did it hurt when you got it?”

Eli chuckled, swinging her half frozen legs onto the bed, “A little bit. The skin was pretty tender afterwards but it was so long ago I do not remember very well.” 

“An expert probably did it since it’s healed so well over the years,” Maki’s nails ran over the top of the rose. She was probably still mad about what happened earlier with Nico. Eli sheepishly drew forward, giving a relieved sigh when she heard the commotion on the stairs. 

There was a sloshing sound and shouting from the hall as the others brought in the hot water and more blankets. They all helped Eli get into a chair, Umi blushing bright red at the “immodest” state of her clothes. She was covered in blankets, warm from the touch of the afternoon sun as Umi and Maki discussed what to do with the hot water. Ideas were thrown around about what would be the best solution - was this even healthy? Maybe it would stop the exorcism halfway? 

The ice was moving quicker now, making its way up her thighs and hips. Before anyone had come to a conclusion, Rin and Honoka dunked Eli’s feet into the hot water. It felt like lava, seeping into her skin and spreading around in her veins. Eli frantically pulled her feet out, amazed that the ice hadn’t melted off in an instant. Instead, it began slowly dripping. But instead of water, the drops were a thick, white goo. Each one plopped onto the carpet and formed into little bubbles. Rin bent down to touch one only to reel back in surprise. 

“It feels super weird, nya! Like dough mixed with wet sand and honey or something.” Rin scrunched up her nose as everyone took turns touching the droplets and giving a similar response. This once again, launched a discussion about what this could all mean and whether or not they should trust this process at all. 

“Girls,” Nozomi’s voice caught all of their attention in an instant, “We should trust Elicchi. And if it doesn’t work - we’ll be the ones to help her. That’s what we all agreed to do if she came back, right?”

The others all nodded in agreement and Eli could feel her eyes beginning to water. Unable to move her arms, she bravely held back her tears and beamed at the girls. “Thank you, girls. I’ll be in your care.”

By now, the ice had covered a majority of her face and Eli could do nothing but watch as the girls worriedly looked on as it completely consumed her. She was somehow able to breath but there was no way she could move. The others were in a panic, but Eli was helpless as they went on and on about things she couldn’t hear. All she could do was look. But even if Eli couldn’t hear them or move, she could distinctly see Nozomi reach over and place a hand over her own. It didn’t burn and there was no way she could feel anything - yet it assured her that everything would be okay.

It was difficult to tell how much time had passed. Probably an hour. Maybe two? Eli couldn’t turn her head to see the clock or reach for her pocket watch. Time only seemed to pass by who came and left the room to get more hot towels. Finally, feeling was starting to come back to her body, first in her toes and then up. It was a long process as the others frantically tried to speed up the melting by throwing on towels soaked in the lukewarm water sitting in a tub. As the last bits fell off her face, Eli almost choked on the air. It cut through her throat and filled her lungs all too fast. After a few deep breaths, she was able to see what was happening.

The goop was all around the chair but as Eli blinked it began to slowly crawl towards her feet. It settled together into a sizable puddle right in front of her before clumping up. Everyone watched on in awe as it began to form into a vaguely animal-like shape. The goo melded to make legs, folded up underneath what should be a body and fur began to sprout up in puffs on its head along with a fluffy tail. With a shake, the fur covered its entire upper body and two big ears popped out of the top, swerving around and listening to the gasps from the girls. With a final shake, three eyes blinked open and stared up at Eli. 

“Hello Frost,” Eli smiled softly, shakily getting up. The exorcism was more tiring that she expected and she soon had to sit back down on the bed. The others just stared on, caught somewhere between horror and amazement at the white demon before them. Frost just turned and looked up at them. Completely unblinking. “Girls, this is Frost.”

“That looks nothing like how I was expecting,” Nico deadpanned, pushing herself further against the wall, “Aren’t demons supposed to look evil and threatening? What is this? It looks like paste with fur on it.”

“Ah well, that what most people have been raised to believe. Even professionals like my family tend to hold that idea. However, if you carefully look through older documents, particularly those in this area, you will notice demons come in many shapes and forms,” Eli pat Frost on the head, “I’m sure all your demons look very different from one another.”

Rin poked her head out from behind Maki’s shoulder, “Does it bite, nya?” In response, Frost opened their mouth, revealing nothing but trails of goop. No teeth at all. 

“Does it talk?” Maki was faking whatever calmness was in her voice, visibly shaking at the knees, “I bet it sounds like a demon at least.”

“Frost is… pretty taciturn. They only speak after they have put a lot of thought into it.” 

As if on cue, Frost looked up at all of them, speaking up in a small, friendly voice, “I am Frost. Though I am a demon and you are all human, I hope to be of great assistance. Thank you.”

Nozomi gave a little bit of applause, smiling at the demon and patting their head. “It’s a pleasure to know you.” Frost blushed light blue. 

Over in one corner, the inseparable trio seemed to be in deep discussion about something. Umi seemed to be arguing with Honoka with Kotori stuck in the middle (as usual). In the middle of talking, Honoka rebelliously turned towards Frost and marched up to the small pile of goo.

“I’m Honoka Kousaka! Let’s get along!” With her best friendly grin, Honoka brought her hand down, like she was going to shake hands with Frost. There was an all too long silence for the better part of five minutes as Umi was silently having a meltdown at her best friend’s impulsive stupidity. Everyone else just watched as Honoka kept her hand in the air, grin unwavering as Frost stared at the appendage without response. Finally, Frost scooted forward, pushing their head underneath Honoka’s hand and allowing her to pet their head. 

“Uwah! Umi-chan! Kotori-chan! Frost’s fur is seriously super soft! It’s like silk!” Honoka ran her hand up and down the demon’s fur, causing it to spike up when she pushed against the grain. She grabbed Kotori and Umi’s hands, dragging them forward and having them pet Frost as well. Eli chuckled as everyone soon gathered around Frost, petting them as they stared wide eyed and confused about what to do.

“It seems like they like you,” Eli opened up her arms and Frost scrambled onto the bed and into them, making her shake at the strange sensation of their gooey lower body on her arms. They shifted their position a little bit, feet sticking out from underneath their body and leaned their head on Eli’s chest. Rin bounded up to them and made a face when she felt the strange texture of their goo. She then brought Maki over to make her touch it too. 

The first thing Eli noticed is that Maki wasn’t wearing her eye patch anymore. It’s been so hectic since she came back, she never noticed. There was some discolored skin around her eye but no sign of long-term scarring. Eli couldn’t stop the sigh of relief or the way she instinctively reached out to caress the area with her thumb. Maki’s face goes red and Eli quickly drew her hand back in embarrassment. Rin throws them both a confused look but leaves when Maki gives her a not-at-all subtle jab in the side. 

“You’re face makes it too obvious you’re worried,” Maki mumbled, poking Frost’s ear, “I told you then and I’ll tell you again - I’m fine. If you’re gonna apologize for something, apologize for deserting us. You jerk. And put a shirt back on.”

Eli smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck, “Sorry.”

Eventually Nico and Nozomi leave to make dinner, leaving the younger girls alone to shower Eli with questions about demons and what she had been doing while she was away and how was Yukiho by the way and what about ARISE? When Nico called everyone down for dinner, Eli couldn’t help but thank God that she could take a break. As everyone made their way downstairs Frost waddled slowly and hopped down each step much to the delight of the others who couldn’t help but cheer them on. While the group ate, almost everyone snuck bites of food down to Frost who dutifully moved from one person to another to lap up the offerings. Rin and Honoka both squealed about how weird the inside of Frost’s mouth felt before being scolded by Umi for making noise at the dinner table. Nozomi laughed, making the corners of her eyes crinkle up and Eli felt a familiar warmness bubble up in her chest. 

When they move onto dessert, Eli explains to all of them that ARISE will be coming down to stay at the mansion. Nico almost chokes on her dinner and goes off on a long, long shpiel about ARISE’s work and what sets them apart from other mediums. She’s cut short however, when they all discovered that Frost seems to love chocolate and everyone starts to take turns feeding bits of the stuff to them. Eli doesn’t remember the last time she’s laughed and smiled like this, relishing the feeling of strain in her cheeks.

After a hot bath, Eli sat on her bed with Frost sitting silently in the corner of her room. She motioned for them to come up and they obliged, jumping onto the fabric and curling up by one of the pillows. The two of them sat in silence for a while, Eli marveling at how easily everything had gone back to normal. No strange tension between her and the girls, with no awkwardness on her part either. It was as if she had never even left. 

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door, “Elicchi, can I come in?”

Without answering, Eli quickly threw on an undershirt and opened the door. Nozomi carefully stepped inside and sat down on the blanket, giving Frost a few pats. Eli coughed and nervously rubbed the back of her neck, “Frost, can you make sure the front door is locked and that everyone is in bed? I would like to be alone for a bit.” 

Frost silently nodded, waddling out the room and making sure to nudge the door shut on their way out. Which left Eli and Nozomi alone. Nozomi shifted on the bed while Eli leaned against her dresser, awkwardly playing with a strand of still-wet hair. Oh no. There it was. The awkwardness that Eli was dreading returning to. It kept into her veins and Eli felt more frightened standing there than when she was being covered in demonic ice. 

“I’m sorry, Elicchi,” Nozomi quietly said, “What happened before was… Not just Zagreus. It was because I wanted to get closer to you. I knew what kind of a demon that Zagreus could be, but I wanted you so badly - it was because of my own selfish wish that you got so… so hurt.” 

She looked like she was about to cry. Tears were welling up in the corners of Nozomi’s eyes, shining against turquoise and moving like the ocean just before high tide, waves threatening to break the shore. Eli reached a hand forward, kneeling in front of Nozomi and cupping her cheek, “I’m sorry too. It was selfish and cowardly to leave like that. To be completely honest, I don’t think I can ever be the same. But… I think that’s okay. And you don’t need to force yourself to forgive me. I hurt you and you hurt me. Both of us will live - both of us will learn. So if you would allow it,” Eli took Nozomi’s hand, kissing the knuckles gently, “I’d like to learn with you.”

“Elicchi,” Nozomi wiped her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks and leaving hot, streaks on her skin, “Can I…?”

Without a word, Eli stood and pressed their lips in a kiss. Nozomi fell back onto the bed and Eli stood over her, holding their lips together so long it became painful. They only pulled back for a little air before their lips crashed again. Each kiss became more intense and heated, Eli hyper aware of the soft bounce of Nozomi’s body with each movement and the sound of her breath hot against her skin. It was like she was on fire - all too different from that kiss with Tsubasa in the cold of winter. No, with Nozomi it was nothing but hot, hot, hot. Every spot she kissed tingled and buzzed, lingering like salt water on skin, impossible to wash away. 

Eventually they stopped. Both were panting, foreheads touching and Eli could feel Nozomi’s hands running up and down her back. She gave the other girl another quick kiss on the cheek before falling onto the bed next to her. Nozomi was grinning into her arm, hair mussed up and eyes shyly staring at the bedsheets. Eli figured she looked the same way. Vulnerable. During all her years of training, Eli had been trained to keep to herself. Opening up to others was weakness and only lead to injury. But here, in this moment, Eli felt like no matter what hurt her - there would always be room for healing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS BEEN 30 YRS KSJDKFSJDLFSJFL  
> big sorry for the complete lack of updates!!! with moving out of my dorms, anime expo, and general laziness all mixed together i worked on this ch at like the pace of a dying snail sklsjdfkl but its finally here!!!!! and i put in some unplanned nozoeli as an apology for basically being on a mini-hiatus ;;;;   
> ALSO - it was tdm's anniversary like a week ago??? happy late bday to this fic!! i honestly cant believe its been a year already and how much ive actually written for this fic ksjldkfslfdj my goal is to finish it before the year is over but there most likely wont be an update until august?? bc my family is going to yellow stone for a week at the end of july :v  
> THANK YOU TO ALL MY COOL READERS THIS CH IS FOR YOU GUYS  
> hmu @ hb48.tumblr.com and remember this fic wouldnt be possible w/out godbear999.tumblr.com who made it in the first place


	19. Demons Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM NOT DEAD

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps between the window curtains as the birds begun to chirp. The ends of summer heat left the rooms of the mansion comfortably warm as the entire town of Otonokizaka stirred and woke. 

Eli rolled over onto her side and stifled a yawn into her shoulder before slowly hoisting herself up. She leaned down, giving Nozomi a quick kiss on the cheek as she got out of bed. The sink water splashed onto her face and forced Eli away from the last pulls of sleep. Tying her hair back, Eli fixed her bangs in the mirror. Down at her feet, Frost was up and alert, plodding along and waiting for a command. 

“Good morning,” Eli bent down and gave the demon a few pats, “Can you wake up Nozomi for me while I get dressed?” 

Frost nodded and bounced onto the bed. A few moments later, Eli heard the rustling of sheets as she walked towards the dresser, pulling on her trousers. Then, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto the bed. Giggling, she turned to see Nozomi with her face smushed up against the blonde’s thigh. 

“Hello, love,” Eli moved a strand of hair away from Nozomi’s face, trying to fight back a smile, “Can you let go of me? I need to put a shirt on and I cannot stand like this.” 

“Nnnn… It’s so hot Elicchi…” Nozomi groaned, limply holding onto Eli’s waist.

“Then wouldn’t it be wise to let go of me, my love?” Eli reached over and just barely managed to grab the edge of her shirt, tugging it towards her, “I’m not very fond of the heat either.”

“But… I don’t wanna let go of you yet…” 

Without a word Eli flopped onto the bed, Nozomi looking back at her with half-lidded eyes and a small pout. Eli look in the sight for a moment. All thoughts of UTX or demons or what happened seemed to have been pushed aside, fog lifting away and leaving the bright, clarity of the ocean. She propped herself up on one arm and leaned in to give Nozomi a soft kiss.

“Perhaps later we may find some time to ourselves?” Eli smiled mischievously, cupping Nozomi’s face with one hand as the other blushed bright red.

“Ah - that’s not fair Elicchi,” Nozomi quickly hid her face with her hands, “A surprise attack like that when I’m not even fully awake is seriously unfair…”

Victorious, Eli got up and pulled the shirt on over her shoulders, tucking it into her high trousers as she rolled up the sleeves, “All is fair in love and war, honey.” Just when she was going to cooly make her exit, suddenly, a firm hit on her butt forced an ungraceful squeak out of Eli as she angrily glared behind her shoulder.

“All’s fair in love and war right?” Nozomi cooed, smirking as she walked towards the bathroom, “Darling.” 

Eli smiled wryly, but her expression quickly dropped as Nozomi stood frozen in the doorway, “Nozomi? Is everything-” 

“Eli,” golden eyes stared back at her, the all too familiar glow dimmed in the morning sunlight. But as quickly as it appeared, Nozomi blinked once, twice - and then her eyes were back to their usual turquoise color, “Elicchi? What are you staring at?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ll be downstairs first,” Eli quickly excused herself, motioning for Frost to follow. 

Of course it wasn’t that easy. Just because her and Nozomi got together didn’t mean their problems had magically vanished. It would take time and effort, starting first with Zagreus. But waking up like that, with Nozomi in her arms and her face like a picture framed by the bed sheets, Eli found her hesitation quickly extinguished. This time she wouldn’t run away; she didn’t need to. 

At the bottom of the stairs, Eli was greeted with the all too familiar sight of morning chaos. It was almost nostalgic as she clapped her hands, diverting Furball’s attention from the couch they were trying to shred apart. The demon sprinted forward, using Rin’s athletic build to their full advantage as they bowled over Eli. Frost narrowly avoided being crushed and rotated their ears in worry about their master. Eli grinned, letting Furball get a few licks and sniffs in before pushing them off when they became scratchy. 

“Frost, can you see if Nico needs your help in the kitchen? I need to deal with this,” the demon nodded, waddling off as Eli dusted off her trousers. Furball ran in circles around her ankles before making a beeline towards the hallway. They scrambled to Hanayo as she rubbed her eyes awake, sniffing her feet and staring up at her expectantly. 

“G’morning Frost… Eli-chan,” Hanayo waved, still in her pajamas. Her voice was softer than usual since she had just woken up. Eli mussed up her hair and helped pin Hanayo’s bangs off to the side.  
“Not a morning person, I take it?” Eli smiled at her fondly, “It seems like Furball is extremely fond of you.”

“O-Oh? Well, I think it’s mostly because they like my demon, er, Glutter,” Hanayo said, scratching under Furball’s chin, “I, um, don’t know what Glutter is like of course but, from what I know and what people tell me, the two of them are really close. But, it’s kind of weird for me to see Rin-chan like this…”

Eli looked at the redhead purring and rubbing her face on Hanayo’s hand. Only that wasn’t her. It was just her body that Furball was using. There was a strange dissonance that sent a chill down Eli’s spine. Even if it wasn’t really that person’s actions, it still looked like them. That was the scary part. “They seem to be much more interested in you than me though.”

Hanayo laughed, “I guess so. Maybe Furball just likes me because I’m using the same body as their best friend. I don’t mind though, since that means I’m usually by Rin-chan’s side when she wakes up.” 

“Let’s hope a certain other person doesn’t wake up during breakfast,” Eli said, headed into the kitchen, “I don’t think Nico needs the extra work.” 

Breakfast was a simple spread of pancakes and eggs. Furball disappeared right when they jump onto the seat, almost startling Rin out of chair. It was difficult to miss the new atmosphere between Eli and Nozomi as they sat next to each other at the table and giggled under their breaths at nothing. Honoka threw them a smug grin and Nico rolled her eyes stabbing her fork through a strawberry. Eli did the dishes with Umi, asking her about how the demon possessions had been after she left. As expected, Umi had kept a close record of the possessions and the two of them were pouring over the notes when Frost quickly waddled in.

“What is it Frost?” Eli offered a piece of chocolate to Frost, surprised that they refused the treat.

“Ma’am,” Frost began, surprising Eli with the lack of thinking time, “Glutter is out. They’re currently in the music room, trying to eat sheet music.”

“Thank you Frost,” Eli stood quickly, letting Frost climb onto her shoulder, “Sorry Umi, let’s continue our talk some other time. Thank you.” 

The run to the music room didn’t take long, telltale bite marks lined the legs of the furniture. Eli stayed out of the doorway, peering inside to Hanayo’s figure, hunched over a pile of papers that had been hastily left behind. Before, charms had been enough to subdue Glutter, but now it was important to try to understand the demons. So there had to be a way to peacefully subdue them...

“Frost, can you look and see what they’re doing?” Eli lowered her arm, allowing the demon to slide off her shoulders and onto the floor. Frost slowly approached the door, sniffing at the frame before shaking their little body. Suddenly, their head changed color, like water clouding up with paint their white fur was filled with pigment. Slowly, the colors became more solid and all Eli could see was a faint outline along the wall as they slinked into the room.

Well. That was new.

If she strained her ears, Eli could hear the soft paps of Frost’s feet on the fine carpet as they moved. Soon, the outline was back and quickly became white again. “Since when could you do that?”

Frost tilted their head, closing one eye and shifting their feet, “Always.” Eli crouched down on her knee, letting Frost back up onto her shoulder as they thought about what to say. “Glutter is not alone,” they eventually said, “Furball is there as well. They aren’t doing anything. It is calm.”

Eli mulled over her options. Should she walk into this potentially dangerous situation as casually as she would into the living room? How much precaution should she take? She had only ever seen Glutter when they were hungry - which was always - and aggressively searching for food. But now they were calm, perhaps this was much easier than she had anticipated. Still, Eli hid a charm in her glove, ready to use in case things became dangerous. Carefully, she knocked on the door and stepped inside.

Glutter sat on the floor, chewing on something loudly, scratching Furball behind the ears. Eli quickly saw that Glutter was eating the leftovers from breakfast, picking off bits of food from the plates in front of them. “Hello, human.” Hanayo’s voice wasn’t exactly warped, but its was certainly different. It was gruff and much deeper than usual. It always took Eli off guard but after being gone for so long, it certainly threw her for a loop. 

“Hello. What are you doing?” Eli asked, cautiously sitting on the piano chair, “Usually you would be scavenging for food, correct?”

Glutter shrugged, “I have plenty to eat here,” they mumbled over a piece of half burnt waffle, “Besides, Furball’s here too.” They nudge Furball with a foot and they growl back happily. The two of them made an odd picture, Eli thinks, at least compared to Rin and Hanayo. But both pairs were undeniably similar in one way: one was never very far apart from the other.   
“Can I ask you something?” Eli shifted her weight on the chair, letting Frost sit in her lap as Glutter nodded, “Is there anything you particularly want? I know demons can leave a host if the two of them come to an agreement. And my job is to make sure all the demons leave their hosts for good. So I’m trying, uh, a slightly different approach until the host and the demons can directly communicate with one another.”

Glutter chewed on the end of a blackened piece of bacon and said, “I want to live far away from humans. Somewhere I have plenty to eat and where Furball can run around without being afraid of running into humans all the time. Humans are bad news.”

“Is that it? Really?” Eli could scarcely believe her ears. First Frost and now this? Were all demons this simple? Could they have avoided countless people being injured and traumatized if they had just listened? “It’s a bit… simple.”

“Well some demons have lofty dreams,” Glutter grunted as Furball climbed onto their back, “But, yeah, we’re simple - if that’s what you want to call it.”

Eli turned the information over in her mind. Perhaps she could ask the surrounding towns to section off part of the mountains? There were plenty of natural resources that Glutter could eat and space wouldn’t be an issue either. She would need to talk to the mayor about it and gather all the necessary data but it was a feasible plan. “Thank you, that’s very helpful information.”

“Wh-what is?” And in the time it had taken Eli to think of a plan, Hanayo and Rin were back. Hanayo seemed a bit dazed, but that wasn’t anything unusual for her post-possession, “Did something happen while I was possessed?”

“Ah, it is nothing. Take care of yourself, okay Hanayo? If your stomach feels unwell make sure to take some medicine.” Eli bowed before quickly leaving the room. There was still some time to prepare before ARISE arrived, but there was still a sense of urgency that drove Eli to leave the mansion. 

The meeting was done and over with quickly. Mayor Minami had been positive to the idea and agreed that Otonokizaka will do what they can. She had began writing letters to the other towns surrounding the mountain just as Eli had left the office. The date of the meeting would be sent to the mansion as soon as they could. Eli wiped the thin bead of sweat on her brow as she walked through the mansion’s gates. Maybe she should change into something lighter… 

But that looked like it would have to wait.

When she entered through the doors, Eli was left dumbfounded. Maki’s back was turned to Eli, one arm lifting Nico by her collar and the other stiffly positioned like a claw. Nico was trying to struggle, but could only manage a few weak kicks. Crap, she only had one charm on her. Glutter and Furball were mostly benevolent but Saetam was a completely different story. This was one demon that caused trouble for everyone.

“Come on, why won’t you let it out!? Listen to me!” Saetam threw Nico the ground, growling through their teeth, “Let me see Plague!” 

“That’s enough Saetam,” Eli said sternly, “I cannot let this continue. And you should know that a host cannot so easily call out their demon. I expected at least some common sense from you.”

Maki’s face split into a twisted grin, the discoloration of skin near her eye screaming out at Eli. “If it isn’t the little child of God? What are you gonna try to do? Go up against me? The great Saetam? I saw what you did to this body last time. And from the looks of it, you’re too afraid to try something like that again.” 

“Why are you attacking Nico?” Eli swallowed the lump growing in her throat. That wasn’t Maki, no matter how much it looked or sounded like her, “Why do you want to see Plague?”

“Ah, you’re so stupid you need me to explain it?” Saetam clicked their tongue and grabbed Nico by the back of her collar, hoisting her up, “Plague is the greatest demon here, well, excluding me of course. Next to it, all the others here are like candles compared to a volcano. It’s great enough so that even I acknowledge its power. If I am a king, Plague is the only other noble even close to my caliber. Sadly, this noble is holed up in a waste of space like this.” Saetam threw Nico against the stairs, causing her to pitifully slump over in pain. 

“Nico!” Eli could barely control herself. How long had this been going on? Ever since she left? Before then? There was little more than the sound of her boots thudding on the floor ringing in her ears. “Stop it, you monster. Before I make you feel the true wrath of God.” 

Without a word, Eli jumped forward, tugging the charm out of her glove and pointing it at Saetam. The demon easily dodged, grinning to themselves. “The wrath of God? Hah! Don’t make me laugh! The only one who deserves my presence is the true servant of Hell - Plague!” They dodged another attack, jumping onto the stairs. “Not you puny little pests.”

Suddenly, Saetam felt something around their legs. Nico was desperately holding on, panting heavily and in obvious pain. But not matter how much Saetam kicked their legs or hit her, Nico never let go. They curled their fingers in more, hissing and growling in anger.

“Let go of me you scum! How dare you touch me? Only your master is allowed to touch me!” 

Eli grabbed onto Saetam’s collar, pulling them forward roughly, “You are wrong. Plague is not Nico’s master. And even the smallest pests, can kill a king.” She slapped the charm onto Maki’s neck, giving Saetam one last hateful glare before they were forced back into submissiveness. Eli set Maki down at the bottom of the stairs, thankful that she was unconscious. It wouldn’t have done her much good to see Nico in this state. “Nico, can you stand?”

“No. Help me up you dolt.” Eli couldn’t help a small smile as she carried Nico in her arms. Even covered in bruises and with a gash in her forehead, Nico’s spirit always stood strong. Kind of like the opposite of Eli. She laughed to herself at the joke. 

“I’ll have Nozomi start to patch you up. There’s no way the others didn’t hear that so she’s probably already in your room. I need to check up on Maki.” 

Nico weakly clung onto Eli’s shirt, “You’re getting my blood all over your clothes. Are you really okay with that? It looks expensive.” 

“Oh this thing?” Eli shrugged slightly, reprimanding herself for not keeping up with her physical training as she huffed up the stairs, “I have a ton of them back at home. Plus, I was just about to change into a different shirt. No big deal.”

With a final grunt, Eli climbed up the last few steps and softly kicked open Nico’s door. Nozomi was sitting on the bed with a first aid kit as Eli laid Nico down. The two briefly exchanged a look before Eli hurried back downstairs. Hanayo and Rin were helping Maki up, while the other three began to clean up a few things that had been tossed over during the struggle. 

Maki hobbled over to a chair, a small stream of blood coming from her nostril and trickling down her chin. She took a handkerchief from Hanayo with a small nod and quietly wiped away the blood. “Where’s Nico?”

“She’s fine. I brought her up to her room where Nozomi’s taking care of her,” Eli sighed, heartbroken by the look on Maki’s face when she saw the blood staining her shirt, “It’s… It’s not your fault, Maki.” 

No matter how much Eli tried, she couldn’t think of anything more to say. It wasn’t Maki’s fault, but that didn’t change the fact that it was Maki’s face Nico had to stare in as Saetam beat her. That it was Maki’s body that they were fighting. Eli remembered golden eyes staring down at her from the darkness and felt a shiver go down her spine. Not now. She needed to be here for the others and there was Nozomi. They were going to get through this. No more running away.

“Come on,” Eli reached a hand out, smiling softly, “I know you want to go see her.” 

The climb up the stairs is silent and it felt like an hour before they reached the top. Eli decides to hover in the doorway, motioning for Maki to go inside. Nozomi was sitting at the end of the bed, putting on the last bandages around Nico’s arm. The gash on Nico’s forehead was covered by a piece of gauze, already soaking up the last streams of blood. She sat up in bed, shirtless, so all her bruises and cuts were visible. There was a particularly nasty looking bruise, blue and purple with splotches of yellow, right below her ribs. Eli figured Saetam had given her a strong kick before she got there. 

When they noticed Maki walk in, Nozomi quickly stood up and went to Eli’s side by the door. Maki sat down on the bed, hesitantly reaching out to trace a streamlined scar on the smaller girl’s side. It ran down from her under her armpit to almost her hip and Maki’s breath came out shallow as her finger trailed away from it. 

“Nico… I-” Maki was about to say but was cut off by a soft headbutt from Nico, “Hey! What was that for!?”

“Are you trying to make me feel better or what? Because how am I supposed to feel when all I can see is that you’re just about to cry?” Nico cupped Maki’s cheeks, “You don’t need to bother seeming all tough. I can see through you any day.” 

Maki shifted her weight slightly, sniffling as tears began to well up in her eyes, “I could say the same thing to you, stupid.” 

The two embraced and Maki whispered a soft, barely audible “I’m sorry,” before Nico pulled her into a kiss. They let out a small sigh as their lips parted and Nico shot a look at the doorway. “Um, a little privacy please? What’s wrong with you two?”

Nozomi smirked mischievously, “What? I’m just making sure you treat my daughter right Nicocchi!” 

Nico groaned while Maki let out a confused noise, blushing furiously. Eli stifled a laugh and apologized before shutting the door behind them. Her and Nozomi headed into Eli’s room, giggling and joking to one another. They exchanged a quick kiss before Eli changed into a much cleaner, lighter shirt. Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but stare at Nozomi’s reflection in the mirror and the see the quick flicker of golden shine before vanishing again. Eli took a deep breath and adjusted her collar.

“Let’s go downstairs, Nozomi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> creative chapter title i know  
> AND AFTER SO LONG I FINALLY HAVE AN UPDATE IM SO SORRY ;o; ive finally settled into my new apartment and got wifi so i was able to finish this ch - ive been feeling a bit uninspired for art/writing but ive been watching some things (mp100 and stranger things ksdjflksdfjs) that made me rlly hyped up so i was able to finish this ch!!!  
> hopefully there wont be as long of a wait between this ch and the next one and again im sorry for taking so long to write this ch and thank u to all the readers how have been waiting so patiently ｍ(＿ ＿；)ｍ


	20. Flowers that Bloom (Demons Pt. 2)

Looking out her window, Eli could see the flowers neatly lined up against the gate. Even now, Kotori and the others still diligently cared for the flowers, switching the seeds to suit the season. Drying her hair, Eli twirled a strand absent mindedly. It had been a while since she had cut her hair. Although she usually had it up in a ponytail, it seemed much longer than she remembered when it was down like this. Perhaps she’ll cut it some time. Properly too, instead of just a little trim over a sink with scissors. 

The sun was just beginning to set and Eli checked her journal. One more week until ARISE would A-RRIVE. She cringed inwardly at her own joke and quickly tugged on her gloves, making a mental note to do an extra set of stretches that night as punishment. Such mental laxness was not suitable for someone of her position. There was still some time before dinner so Eli decided to do some light running before, she had been slacking off on her training after all. 

Although it was barely fall, the air definitely felt colder now. Even though some daylight still shone against the trees, Eli shivered when she stepped outside. A few quick stretches later and Eli began running around the inside perimeter of the gates. Just as she rounded around the mansion for a third time, she saw the inseparable trio come outside and huddle near a patch of flowers by a tree. Deciding that a little break was reasonable, Eli quietly approached them. 

“I wonder why it hasn’t been growing,” Umi mused, hands firmly rested on her hips, “Perhaps the seed is the problem?”

“What-? That’s impossible. We all thought it was the best one out of the bunch which is why we put it in the middle. You said so yourself Umi-chan, ‘This one is the lord of the group!’” Honoka said in her best (a.k.a. not very good) Umi impression. 

“I do not sound like that,” Umi snapped, “But that’s not the point. The issue is the flower.”

“This sure is a puzzle,” Kotori pouted, dusting off her knees as she got up, “Oh! Eli-san, I didn’t see you there. Sorry for not noticing.” 

All three of them greeted Eli slightly differently. Honoka grinned with a friendly wave, Umi gave a respectful bow, and Kotori simply nodded her head and gave a soft smile. Eli couldn’t help but think that it was fascinating how close they all were despite their differing personalities and that their demons also ended up forming a trio. A much less friendly trio but a trio nonetheless. 

“It’s alright,” Eli said, wiping away a bit of sweat, “Is there a problem with the flowers? I may able to help.”

“Oh my, well if you could that would be great,” Kotori motioned towards a barely visible sprout poking out of the ground. All around it were the beginning buds of toad lilies, ready to open their petals at any moment. “We don’t understand why this one doesn’t want to sprout like the others. It was planted at the same time and we’ve been giving it the same treatment but it seems to be a bit of a late bloomer…”

Eli tilted her head, bending down to examine the little plant. Just as Kotori said there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it. The color, texture, shape, and everything looked perfect. “I guess there’s no real reason for it,” Eli gave it a puzzled look, “It is just a late bloomer, nothing more and nothing less. How peculiar.” 

“Oh my, that’s too bad,” Kotori sighed softly, “I was hoping to have all the flowers bloom together just before fall starts but I guess that won’t be happening.”

“Cheer up Kotori-chan! I read that flowers will grow quicker if you talk to them,” Honoka bent down, cupping her hands around her mouth, “Fight little flower! You can do it! I believe in you! Come on, you say something too Umi-chan.”

“Um, d-do your best, small one?” Umi stammered, suddenly thrust into the spotlight. The three of them continued to say encouraging things to the little flower as Eli continued her jog. Perhaps it was because of the colder weather that the flower wasn’t blooming. It would have been nice to see it bloom along with the other ones. When she returned inside, Eli made a beeline for the library and grabbed as many books on horticulture and gardening as she could. 

After dinner, Eli continued her very important plant research. It was strangely irritating how she could not find a solution or even a reason why the plant was not growing at the same pace as the others. Maybe the flower would never boom at all. That thought was somehow much worse and increased Eli’s frustration. 

Just as Eli was beginning a fascinating chapter about root structure, there was a loud crash from downstairs. Jumping onto her feet, she ran down to the second floor where the noise had come from. There stood Saetam, grinning crookedly with one hand on their waist. The other was holding up Honoka by the front of her collar, pushing her hard against the wall. Honoka kicked her feet desperately and only when she turned her head did Eli notice it wasn’t Honoka at all. 

“L-Let go of me! I’ll burn you to ashes-!” Ferdinand growled, pulling back a hand and lighting it on fire.

Saetam quickly grabbed onto his wrist, giving it a tight squeeze and hissing through their grin, “You’ll do what, now? Burn me? Don’t get so full of yourself, little candle. I’ll snap off this puny human’s hands before you can even create a spark!” Saetam gave Ferdinand’s wrist another squeeze, causing him to yell in pain.

Eli ran forward, panicking at the realization that she didn’t have any seals on hand. She would just have to fight using her bare hands. Before Eli could land a single blow however, Saetam suddenly crumpled forward - dropping Ferdinand with a loud thud. Saetam gasped, barely able to push themselves up on their forearms. Eli turned to see Caladrius, silently next to Saetam, one finger on the demon’s back. With a few more gasps, Saetam fell face first onto the floor and only then did Caladrius curl back their finger. After a few moments Maki lifted up her head, groggy and noticeably exhausted. 

“Oh my -” Eli let the sentence drop off as Ferdinand strode forward, grabbing Caladrius with his hands. His expression seemed so foreign on Honoka’s usually cheerful face, eyebrows tightly drawn and mouth distorted into a fierce scowl.

“What in hell was that? I had it under control you stupid plant,” Ferdinand said, shoving Caladrius across the hallway. It merely hit the wall and stared forward. Without pupils, it sported a truly unreadable expression. “Fine, is that how you want it? Fuck you.” 

Ferdinand stormed off down the hallway, leaving hot singe marks along one wall. Eli helped Maki on her feet until she could steady herself. From behind a corner, Aquanine scampered out and began misting over the singe marks before they caught on fire, eyes wide in a cocktail of fear and anxiety. Caladrius just stood and (presumably) stared directly through Eli at the wall. 

She wouldn’t say that “unnerving” was quite the right word. Whether it was because the word was too weak or too strong, Eli couldn’t tell. It had done something unlike anything Eli had ever seen. With a single touch, it completely drained Maki’s energy and in turn, forced Saetam out of their possession. That was an incredibly powerful ability and it lay hidden in this silent host. Maybe it could drain even more? Enough so that the target would eventually… Eli pushed the thought out of her head. 

“Are you alright Maki?” Eli asked, “Does anywhere hurt?”

“I have a bit of a headache, nothing really,” Maki said, “What was that? I came to and barely had enough energy to keep my head up. Was it, was it something Saetam did?”

“No, it was Caladrius’ power.” Maki seemed surprised, apparently its abilities were as much of a mystery to the others as it was to Eli. Although, there might be a couple other people who might be able to tell her more. “Maki, keep an eye on it alright? I’m gonna follow Ferdinand.”

“Uweh?” Maki looked between the two of them incredulously as Eli ran down the hallway. The black streak down the hallway went down the stairs and then stopped abruptly just before the doors to the ballroom. From inside was the soft sound of piano music. Wait a second, piano?

Eli peeked inside. Right by the stage, almost hidden by it, was Umi sitting at the piano. Though, since Umi didn’t know how to play the piano, this was probably Aquanine. They were playing something simple, a few notes over and over in loop. But it was a good song. It the sound of something deep underwater, a jewel waiting to be found. Or maybe just content by itself. Sitting at the piano’s feet was Honoka. Whether she was still Ferdinand or not Eli couldn’t tell from this distance. But she sat there, eyes closed, listening silently the to soft melody.

Finally, the music stopped. Aquanine smiled to themselves and Honoka clapped. That startled the demon so much they fell backwards off the chair. Eli ran forward without thinking, reaching them when Umi was back in her own body. 

“Are you okay?” Eli was panting, offering a helping hand.

Umi smiled sheepishly, “Thank you. Was my demon playing the piano?”

“Yes,” Eli said, “It was very simple, but beautiful nonetheless. Aquanine is very talented.”

“It brings me here sometimes to play. It’s a bit of a hassle but I’m glad it's no longer trying to drown me anymore.” 

“It sounded so great Umi-chan!” Honoka was positively beaming, “I think Ferdinand wanted to hear it too, since when I woke up I was here! Even that ol’ grump likes Aquanine’s music. And whenever I think that it’s your hands that are making that sound, it’s so like wow, you know?”

Umi was blushing. She tugged at the sleeve of her haori and muttered something under her breath that made Honoka light up even more. Eli somehow felt that she was intruding on something very private, but pushed the thought to the back of her mind. “Is it alright if I asked you two about Kotori’s demon, Caladrius?”

“Oh, of course,” Umi said, “Though we won’t be able to say much either. As you know, Caladrius prefers not to do, well, anything.”

“We all got our demons at kinda the same time. While me and Umi-chan started to show our demons’ powers super quickly, we didn’t know what Cal did for a really long time.” 

“Cal?” Umi and Eli asked simultaneously. 

“Yeah, it’s my nickname! It’s real name is too hard to say anyway,” Honoka said, rocking back on her heels, “But when it did show it’s power - that sure was something. It can just, like, drain the life right outta anything! We saw it make a whole field of weeds shrivel up once.”

“That was extremely disturbing,” Umi curled her fingers in, shivering at the thought.

“It helped the garden though so it was all for the best,” Honoka grinned, “Cal’s pretty dangerous, but it’s okay ‘cause they never do anything.”

That was true, Caladrius never did anything alone. So what made it stop Saetam? Perhaps it had more of a will than they had expected. Eli sat on the piano bench to think. Even if Caladrius had a will, it was certainly the weakest that Eli had ever seen. Thank goodness that such a powerful power was given to the one who would barely use it. But with such a small will, what could it possibly want in exchange for unpossessing Kotori? Did it even want anything at all?

“Where is Caladrius anyway?” Umi asked, “We need to make sure it sits down or else it will just keep Kotori standing for hours on end.”

“I’ll go find it,” Eli said, “Thank you for talking to me.”

Back down the hallway, the front door was slightly ajar. Eli walked out, welcoming the cold night air on her cheeks. After spending all afternoon cooped up at a desk, it was refreshing being outside. The porch lights just barely illuminated the front lawn, and standing by the garden was Maki. Crouched next to her was Kotori. Or her body, anyway.

Eli approached them quietly, a skill honed through years of practice. She almost scared the life out of Maki but Caladrius just stared down at the flowers. Specifically, at the little bud who wouldn’t grow. Eli remembered her fruitless efforts from earlier and couldn’t fight the little pout that rose to her lips. What in the world was Caladrius doing here? Kotori wasn’t dressed for this weather, she would catch a cold at this rate. 

Silently, Caladrius reached out a slender finger towards the bud. It let just the tip of Kotori’s index finger touch the little bit of stem visible above the soil. With a small exhale, it stared down. As if in slow-motion, the bud began to creep upwards. It grew little by little until it was as tall as all the other toad lilies. Then, it brought both palms down onto the ground, digging its fingers into the soil. There was a little glow, barely visible even in the dim light as each flower began to unfurl its petals. One by one they bloomed, taking their first breath of air. Finally, the not-so-little bud bloomed, its petals much larger and more colorful than all its siblings. 

Caladrius withdrew their fingers, dirt caked underneath Kotori’s fingernails and over her palm. Eli was stunned, staring at the flowers and then at Caladrius. When she repeated the action a third time, Kotori looked back with bright eyes. Just as mysteriously as it did everything else, Caladrius had retreated. Kotori was all but jumping for joy and ran back inside to call for the other two. Maki just stood in a trance, mouth stupidly agape. Eli couldn't help but laugh, breaking her out of the trance. They returned inside to see Kotori celebrating with Honoka and Umi.

Honoka grabbed both her friends by the arms and ran outside, giving a shout of joy when she saw the flowers. From the doorway, Eli saw Honoka lean over and kiss each of the other two, almost falling into the little garden with Kotori before Umi caught them. They all laughed together, lighting up the night sky with the sound of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone end college why did i decide to be english major  
> hmu @ hb48.tumblr.com i should be posting some character sketches for my tdm designs of the girls bc i realized i never drew them all out properly oops lol  
> make sure to give credit to my sister godbear999.tumblr.com too for her awesome work w the demons ;o


	21. Golden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE ONCE AGAIN

Each day was becoming colder. The pleasant fall breeze had slowly began to shift into the tell-tale chill of winter. For all intents and purposes, Eli did not like the cold. Winter was, of course, the holiest season back home - when all the festivals would take place and people all over the village would pass around buckets of warm ale and tell stories that lit up the snow all around them. But winter was when she felt the most trapped; stuck in rituals day in and day out, forced to sit with her books and it was during those nights when she was most struck by her loneliness.

She had never been very social. Days spent inside pouring over scripture and learning how to hone what little spiritual abilities she had kept her busy. Even when she ventured outside, people would whisper and bow their heads respectfully. Eli wished that instead of bowing, one of those kids would run up to her, formalities out the window, and shamefully ask her to play. At the time she would have scoffed at the idea, sticking her nose up and parroting back the manners she had grown up on. But during those winters nights, with only candles and the chill of winter swirling around her, she let herself wish. 

During spring at least she could run around in the grass with Arisa, sneaking out into the forest to play demons and demon-slayer, no matter how much their mother would scold them afterwards. Even then, there would be a pang of loneliness whenever she would see the other kids by the river, splashing and picking wild flowers together. It felt as if spring has disappeared and for that moment, she was back in the cold of winter. 

Turning over in bed, Eli wrapped her arms around the warmth of Nozomi’s body. She dug her face into the soft, fluffy hair until she reached the neck, planting a lazy kiss at its base. Nozomi giggled softly and intertwined their fingers together, warm like the wind of spring. “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

Her voice sounded beautiful even at the break of dawn, “I apologize. I should have woken you up more gently, Nozomi.” 

“I don’t think that’s even possible,” Nozomi said, propping herself up and stretching, “I’ll go get started on breakfast.” 

Eli made a hum of agreement, getting up herself and digging around for a shirt. Her mother would probably faint at her lax attitude nowadays, but this place was far from prying eyes. Nozomi grazed a hand along the tattoo on her back, tracing the shape of the “R” with her finger before stopping at the thorns. Her face scrunched up, lips pulled tight and brows uncharacteristically drawn. Eli turned, smoothing out the wrinkles with her thumb.

“Your face will be stuck if you keep it like that too long.”  
Nozomi relaxed, but a little pout stubbornly stuck on her lips as she ran her thumb across the scar lining Eli’s shoulder. It started just above her left shoulder blade and snaked down along the curve of her torso, stopping just before her armpit. There was an almost stifling silence in the air between them, and for a second, Eli saw a little glimpse of gold. But it was quickly pulled back underneath the waves as Nozomi gave Eli a quick kiss before getting dressed and heading downstairs. 

The flashes of Zagreus were becoming more and more frequent. They must be desperate to come out; it’s been too long, even for them. But they were still afraid - Eli was still afraid. Even Nozomi’s touches were too much sometimes and she had to shrink away. Suddenly, the memories of that night came flooding back; there was still a heaviness in her gut, but the panic was gone. 

She was recovering.

She would be okay.

Eli took a deep breath, shrugging on a shirt without checking to see how clean it was. With only a few days until ARISE (hold yourself back Eli, self-restraint) arrived, the confrontation on the horizon was inevitable. “Only fools look far ahead at the sun and run into trees; the wise focus on what is in front of them.” It was a favorite line of Eli’s grandmother, something she would say while brushing Eli’s hair and scolding her for day dreaming. So instead of thinking about what to say when (because she knew there was no more if) Zagreus appeared, Eli decided to deal with what was in front of her.

And in front of her was a complete mess of a kitchen and one too many burnt pancakes.

-:-

The last bits of sunlight were beginning to dip behind the cloud cover that had been lingering on the horizon that morning. Eli heard the clocks inside the mansion ring five times, signaling the dip of afternoon into evening. With a huff, she pushed the last of the furniture back into place. Who knew that Glutter could smell crumbs that had fallen around the couch during lunch time. 

Dusting herself off, Eli made one more inspection around the lower floors before heading back up to her room. She let out a relieved sigh when she heard Nozomi upstairs - maybe she was talking to Nico about something. But as Eli got closer, she realized there was only Nozomi’s voice and she seemed to be in deep conversation with…

Herself?

“Like I said, we can’t just avoid this forever!” Nozomi said, sitting on Eli’s bed and staring out the window, “Elicchi is doing her best so you have to do something too. I won’t just sit aside and watch you act like a coward.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” now Nozomi curled up into herself, staring down at the floor, “You’re human. You can have people around you all the time. To enjoy the love and hatred of so many! But if she hates me now, I would rather have that than have her ignore me. You understand, don’t you?”

“How could I possibly understand? You say so yourself - you’re not human. The longer we keep this going the longer we’re hurting Elicchi and I don’t want that. So for once, will you just listen to me? Why are you so afraid of being alone?” 

“Nozomi?” Eli stood in the doorway, unsure how to act in this situation. 

Nozomi turned around, quickly wiping her eyes before pulling her knees close. Reading the atmosphere, Eli sat next to her, taking Nozomi’s hand in her own. The two of them sat like that for some time as the rain began to hit the window. Occasionally, Nozomi would mutter to herself but it was so quiet that Eli couldn’t make out what she was saying. They stayed like that for a while, Eli almost nodding off to sleep a few times before the clock chimed again.

“Ngh, Nozomi, we need to get dinner ready soon,” Eli said, attempting to breathe some motivation to move into her limbs. When did she become so lazy?

“Elicchi, before that, can I talk to you about something?” Nozomi watched, making sure Eli nodded before continuing with a deep breath, “I was talking with Zagreus earlier. They’re being stubborn. Maybe it’s because they’re a demon but I just can’t understand their reasoning. 

They always say that if they can’t be loved it’s better to be hated but I don’t get it. If I was being hated by the one that I loved I think it would be better just to be ignored. Then I wouldn’t get hurt. But because of what they did, all of us got hurt. I’m sorry again, Elicchi.”

Eli kissed the knuckle of Nozomi’s hand carefully, “I know. That’s why we need to work together. Perhaps it was the work of God that brought me to you. To all of you. I swear that I will not let any of you get hurt again.”

“But that’s exactly it,” Nozomi pulled her hand away, “I don’t want that if it means that you’ll get hurt Elicchi. I know that you came here because of your family; but whether it’s fate or just bad luck that we ended up like this - I want to work with you now.”  
“I refuse to let you if it means any of you will be put in further danger. It is my duty as a member of the Ayase family to protect others from the powers of the Devil, even if it means putting myself in danger as a result.” 

Eli didn’t know what she was expecting. Gratitude? Awe? Reverence? But whatever it was, she wasn’t expecting crushing silence. Eli bit her lip and looked away, Nozomi’s eyes boring holes through her. Neither of them said anything for a few moments and Eli knew messed up. She began dissecting what she had just said, looking for where she had angered her girlfriend. But before she could figure it out, Nozomi spoke up.

“Elicchi, you don’t have to do that,” Nozomi said, eyes unreadable, “We survived without you for years. And I don’t want you to feel like you need to hurt yourself for us.”

“But that’s my duty,” Eli said, “I’d gladly put myself on the line if it meant helping you all. You are - you are all like a family to me.” 

“Then why did you leave?”

Eli froze. It felt like all the air had been punched out of her lungs. “That - You can’t blame me for that. You know you can’t.” 

Nozomi stayed silent, turning away to stare out the window. “I know. But you can’t just say things like that Elicchi. We’re all stronger than you think. Leaving only hurt all of us. Isn’t that the opposite of what you wanted to do?”

She was loathe to admit it, but Eli knew Nozomi was right. No matter how much she went on about being a “protector” she had run away. But it hadn’t been her fault… Why was Nozomi making her feel so guilty? Eli gritted her teeth in frustration and stared at the floor. She was a shame, not only to her family but to her work. Turning around to leave, she was surprised at Nozomi’s arms wrapping around her waist.

“That’s why I want to split your pain. You said so yourself - we’re like a family now. So I don’t want you to just jump into everything alone. Have faith in the rest of us too.” 

“Changing my mindset is not an easy feat. I’ve been raised with this drilled into my head. And I’ve got a bit of a stubborn personality.” Eli smiled softly, turning to give Nozomi a kiss on the forehead.

Nozomi smiled, holding Eli’s hand, “I know. More the reason to work together, right? When I was younger my family always moved around so I was usually alone. Even now, I’m not exactly sure where my parents are. But now, I have a place I can call home. Where we can work together and depend on each other. Is this a place like that for you too, Elicchi?”

Eli thought about her home in the Northern Country. There were certainly many good memories there, but the longer she spent away from those frozen mountains, the more she realized how limited her world view had been. Now she knew so much more - felt so much more than before. Perhaps it was possible to have more than one home. Eli gently kissed Nozomi, “Yes, it is.”

“I’m sorry for bringing up you leaving earlier, it wasn’t right of me,” Nozomi apologized, “The last thing I want is to hurt you more.” 

“The same goes for me, my love,” Eli smiled. Just as she leaned in for another kiss, Nozomi’s eyes flashed gold and Eli was shoved away towards the wall. Staring down at her with the absolutely most puzzled look was Zagreus.

“Wh-What was that?” They almost sputtered, making some ambiguous gestures with their hands, “You two were fighting right? And then you kissed her? What in the name of Satan does that mean?”

“Eh?” Eli raised a brow. This demon had been hiding from her for weeks but decided to show themselves now? Over an argument? “We just had an argument, but we talked it over. That’s all.”

“But you were fighting,” Zagreus bunched their brows together in confusion, “Doesn’t that mean you hate her now?” 

What in the world was this thing saying? Who would hate someone over one argument? Eli didn’t give a response as Zagreus continued to mumble to themselves. “Don’t we need to talk about something more important than my relationship with your host?”

Zagreus froze, as if they just remembered the last encounter that they had with Eli. A painful awkwardness settled around the two of them as neither spoke up. Deciding to be the bigger person, Eli coughed to grab the demon’s attention. “Isn’t there something you need to say to me?”

“Uh, I’m not sure,” Zagreus tried to make themselves look smaller, shoulders bunched up and hands clasping each other, “Whatever it is you want to do to me, please make it quick. I don’t want to be out here any longer than I have to.” 

Eli wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated or confused so she settled for a mix of both as she took a step closer to Zagreus, “What in the world are you saying? If you think I’m going to attack you, you are wrong. I just want an apology.” 

“Why in Hell would you want that?” Zagreus said. They genuinely looked confused, face scrunched up in a way that would have been cute if not for the situation. Almost on instinct, Eli reached out a hand to smooth the crease on Nozomi’s forehead. As soon as she moved her arm Zagreus flew back like they really were expecting an attack.

Eli took a deep breath, “I want an apology for what you did to me. I do not plan to forgive you, but an apology will at least show me you regret your actions. Then we can both begin to move on.”

“Move on? From what?”

“Oh Lord, well,” Eli pinched the bridge of her nose, “Remember how you put me through a certain amount of… trauma? An apology would let me put that in the past and not let it consume my waking days. And though I may not forgive you, we can stop being bogged down by our previous actions. I do not want to spend the rest of my life chained down by what you did and you should not be burdened either.”

“You want to move on from that?” Zagreus tilted their head to the side, “Why would you - wouldn’t it make more sense for you to hate me? Have a vendetta against me forever and never wish to see me again lest your anger and hatred get the better of you?” 

At home, drinking was meant to reserved only for special occasions but this certainly felt like something worth having a stiff drink to, “I do not understand why you think that about me but I assure you, I am not that quick to hate. While it is more difficult to move on instead of hate, I believe that it is unhealthy to harbor such negative feelings. Especially towards someone who shares the same body as my lover.”

“Well, if I say sorry what will that do? It won’t erase what I did, will it?” Zagreus said, “What is the point if afterwards, you will still hate me?”

“I said I don’t hate you.”

“Then do you love me?”

Eli raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say I feel so… strongly about you. My feelings towards you are complicated, at best. But it is neither love nor hate. Humans do not think in such a binary set of emotions. Is - is that how demons think?” 

“Demons think very differently from humans. I try to understand these things you humans have called ‘emotions.’ But most demons don’t have that kind of thing. Humans feel so much,” Zagreus smiled sadly, “More than any of us could ever imagine. It seems no matter how much I try, I still do not understand how you all work.”

“Well, would it help if I gave you an example?”

Zagreus tilted their head in confusion. Eli sat on the bed, unbuttoning her shirt and shrugging it off her shoulders, “Do you see this scar? Well, it happened because of people’s negligence. One day, as a test to awaken my latent spiritual abilities, my teacher - may she rest in peace - sent me into a cave. 

It was only illuminated by old lanterns hung up on the walls by a string. At the end of it was an altar we believed our ancestors had used to communicate directly with the divine. My task was to go to the altar and provide an offering there. It was just a few biscuits and some wine to pour into the old chalice there. The whole thing should have taken me less than a day to do. But I was reckless.

The trip towards the altar wasn’t so bad. The cave had a river running through it, with ridges on both sides serving as walkways. I gave the offerings and prayed there for as long as I could, just as instructed. Before I went back, I decided to explore parts of the cave off the walkways. The light was dimmer there, yes, but there was enough of it. I guess I lost track of time and it must have started to become dark outside. My teacher had told my parents about the task of course, but she had entrusted another of her students to oversee me while she was out on other business. That student was… not the most studious. He probably left much earlier to be with his friends.

So at nightfall, no one had told the overseer to keep the lights inside the cave on. By the time I realized what was happening, all the lights around me had gone out and I was stuck in darkness.”

Eli stopped, taking a deep breath to steel her composure. This was always the worst part of the story, not matter how many time she had told it.

“I tried to find my way back to the walkways. But without the lights, all I could trust were the rocky walls and the sound of rushing water. When I finally made it back, I was so relieved I took a misstep. The rock crumbled beneath my foot and I fell off the walkway. It was a good ten foot drop I guess - and when I came to my senses, there was a deep cut on my shoulder.

Using what I could of my cloth bag, I tried to stop the bleeding. But there was no way I was going to be able to climb back up onto the walkway. The only way out would be to follow the river until it exited from the mouth of the cave. It was a horrible journey. The river would splash onto me, soaking all my clothes and leaving me so cold I could barely feel the pain in my shoulder. By the time I made it out, the overseer thought they had seen a ghost. It - It’s the reason I’m so afraid of the dark.”

“It was the teacher’s fault wasn’t it? They were the one who sent you in there and let a fool watch over you. Didn’t you hate that person and your teacher afterwards?”

Eli shook her head, smiling softly, “I did for some time. But my teacher was apologetic, she burst into tears seeing me bedridden and nearly chased that boy out of town! Though the event has caused me grief since and I cannot ever be really rid of it, I was able to move on. What happened that day doesn’t weigh on me so heavily now. And I still love my teacher - may God bless her passing.”

“So you loved your teacher because she cried? Is that the secret to human love and hate?”

Eli let out a low groan into her hands. Of course human emotions were complicated. Her grandmother always said that the Lord’s greatest creation were people because they were such a mystery. It just hadn’t hit her until now how much feelings didn’t make sense. “Let’s… forget it. It doesn’t seem like we’re going to get anywhere like this. Just know that I do not hate you. But at the same time, I do not love you.”

Zagreus cocked their head to the side. They seemed to be working so hard to understand such a simple concept. Eli couldn’t help but appreciate the effort. 

“Is that a relationship that humans can have? If that’s what we are - if I also apologize and cry about what I did, will that make you love me?” Zagreus said, throwing Eli a hopeful look. Eli rolled her eyes and sighed.

“No, it won’t. I’ve already said human relationships aren’t that simple. Right now, we’re in the middle and will always be here.” 

Zagreus furrowed their brows. “I still don’t quite get it… ” they smiled stiffly, “Give me some time to think about this, ok?”

Eli nodded, watching as Zagreus closed their eyes and took in a deep breath. When their eyes were open again, Nozomi had returned to her body. She was a bit dazed, blinking for a few moments before looking up at Eli. With a smile, Eli took Nozomi’s hand and gave the knuckles a gentle kiss. “Welcome back, love.”

“Did you talk to Zagreus? Oh geeze, I couldn’t sense anything at all; I hope they didn’t hurt you again Elicchi,” Nozomi said.

“They didn’t, I promise. We need to start getting things ready for A-RISE today,” Eli took Nozomi’s hand, the two of them starting downstairs, “Have I ever told you the story of how I got the scar on my shoulder? Well, it starts back when I was younger…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CANT BELIEVE ITS BEEN 5 MONTHS IM A BAD MOTHER
> 
> please take this double update as an offering TT


	22. On the Horizon

“Here comes the guests.” Eli smiled, watching the familiar faces all bundled up like the first time they met. She waved and took a step forward before being roughly pushed to the side.

“Oh my god!” Nico practically shrieked. Her hands were shaking so badly Eli was genuinely considering giving her a blanket or something. She seemed to have underestimated just how much of a fangirl Nico was. Everyone was kind of half-hanging in the doorway, a mix of awe and anticipation at these people they’ve only read about in the paper. Eli smiled fondly as Nico hid behind the taller girl as A-RISE finally brought their things to the bottom of the steps.

“Miss Eli! It’s great to see you again,” Tsubasa grinned, opening her arms up. Eli gave the shorter girl a hug before being pulled into Anju’s embrace. Erena just smiled apologetically and offered a friendly handshake once Eli could pull herself away from the other two. 

“It is good to see all of you,” Eli said, “Are you alright after the trip here? I heard you spent the night in town.” 

“Ah yes, it’s such a lovely little place. We should really visit more often,” Anju smiled, “That bakery you recommended was excellent as well.”

“We brought some snacks from home,” Erena held up one of their many bags, “Sorry about all the luggage. Anju and Tsubasa were… a little more persistent than I expected.”

“It is no problem. Let me introduce you to the others and then show you to your rooms,” Eli turned to pick the girls trying to hide themselves, “That is Honoka, Kotori, and Umi. They have the trio of demons I was telling you about.”

Honoka bravely stepped out first, smiling through her nervousness, “I’m Kousaka Honoka. These are my best friends Kotori-chan and Umi-chan.” 

Kotori introduced herself, but Umi bowed so deeply Eli was a little concerned for the girl’s spine. “This is Hanayo and Rin. Their demons are a bonded pair. And behind them is Maki, she’s got the… difficult demon.”

Rin waved wildly and the other two introduced themselves politely enough. Hanayo seemed a little more star-struck than expected and Maki characteristically became more aloof than usual. Tsubasa seemed amused by the girls’ nervousness, remarking that they were like normal people.

“Just a bit more spiritual,” she laughed, “Who is the girl hiding behind you, Miss Eli?” 

“I-I’m Yazawa Nico!” Nico blurted out before Eli could respond, “Ever since I was a kid I dreamed of becoming a disciple of your school - I’m a huge fan of your work!”

“Excellent!” Tsubasa’s smile almost seemed to shine, “Any friend of Miss Eli’s is a friend of ours. Perhaps after all this demon business is over we will take you under our own private tutelage. You certainly seem enthusiastic enough.”

Eli practically had to catch Nico as she staggered back from shock, “Ah, girls, why don’t you help them get settled into their rooms? Can you go and take their bags to the guest rooms, please?”

“I’ll do it!” Nico sprang back into life almost instantly - running forward to grab as many bags as she could before rushing into the house.

Eli carried Tsubasa’s large bag and began walking inside with the others after checking the gate was shut. A-RISE seemed interested in the house’s architecture, talking amongst themselves about things in a language Eli couldn’t quite understand. But it was clear enough when they giggled as Nozomi very purposefully bumped their shoulders together. Eli blushed bright red and sped up her pace.

“I’m guessing that’s the girl you were talking about before,” Tsubasa whispered, “She really is a beauty. The two of you are suited for one another.”

“Th-Thank you,” Eli said, feeling as if her face was on fire and the walk to the back guest rooms seemed to take much longer than it had just this morning. Once they got there, Eli managed to convince Nico to give the four of them some privacy by telling her lunch needed to be made. Closing the door behind her, Eli let out a soft sigh. The room she had chosen was spacious enough for a small family. It was near the exit towards the backyard and fairly isolated from the chaos of the foyer. There was even a private bath.

“It almost seems like you have a fuller plate than us, Miss Eli,” Erena said, examining the furniture, “Eight girls each with their unique demons… It’s almost a shame you got here before us. I would have enjoyed the challenge.”

“Oh stop it Erena, you’re the last one of us who needs more stress,” Anju retorted while lying down on the bed, “Oh! The pillows are so plush!”

“The accommodations are wonderful, Miss Eli,” Tsubasa smiled, “I’m grateful you’ve given us this opportunity to use our abilities and pampered us with such luxuries on top of that!” 

Eli blushed again, “It is nothing. I am asking a lot of you three afterall. In fact, I am a bit worried that things here won’t be up to your expectations considering-”

Tsubasa cut Eli off with a finger to her lips, “Now, now, none of that. We’re already so grateful for what you’ve given us. What would this make this trip better, however, is to see your demon.”

At the mention of Frost, Anju immediately jumped up off the bed and ran towards Eli. “Is it here? Where is the demon?”

“You see, Anju is the one that specializes in demons. She is awfully excited about being able to see one in person - especially one that won’t try to possess or kill her.”

“Give me just a moment, they should be nearby,” Eli said, looking around the room quickly before ducking her head out into the hallway, “Frost? Are you out there? Please introduce yourself to the guests.”

Silently, part of the ceiling detached itself and landed on the floor with a soft “plop.” Said blob of ceiling soon shifted back into its usual milky white color. Frost looked up with their almost comically large eyes and blinked each one after another. Waddling over inside the room, they slowly bowed their head and said, “Hello. I am Frost, a demon. It is very nice to meet you all.”

As soon as Frost finished their sentence, Anju practically bowled her way through Tsubasa and Erena to crouch in front of the demon in awe. “Th-They’re so cute! Omigosh!”

Suddenly, Anju was going off a mile-a-minute asking Frost everything about demon life from their diet to their everyday activities inside the mansion. Eli threw Frost an apologetic look, “Maybe slow down a bit Miss Anju. Frost takes some time to think up of responses so asking them so many questions at once isn’t the best idea.”

“Is Frost their name? Well they can take as much time as they need answering my questions. They’re so cute and lovely!” Anju cooed, petting Frost’s nose gently. Frost’s cheeks became a light blue - maybe they were blushing? Eli chuckled, giving the two of them the room as she began to show Tsubasa and Erena the rest of the house. 

They eventually ended up in the foyer where Eli was showing them the marks left by the demons in some of their previous rampages. The scratches on the furniture and stairs from Furball, the bite marks left by Glutter, and most recently the burn marks on the wallpaper from Ferdinand’s almost everyday occurrences. Just as she was getting into the details of how exactly scratch markings had gotten onto the ceiling of the ballroom, the door burst open and Eli could barely temper tantrum. It was a bit strange to be explaining these phenomenons that Eli now considered register the flash of movement before Furball had tackled her onto the ground.

“I see this demon is quite sociable!” Tsubasa laughed, taking no notice as Erena stood protectively in front of her. Eli struggled to grab onto Rin’s body as the demon attempted to lick off any crumbs Eli still had on her shirt from breakfast. She finally managed to grab Furball by the waist and hold them relatively still. 

“I - oof - I guess you could say so,” Eli said, trying to keep Furball calm, “This is Furball. They’re one of the simpler demons along with their partner, Glutter. I was thinking that these two would be the easiest to exorcise first. Relocation and communication shouldn’t be too difficult and both are amiable enou- OUCH!” 

Furball managed to sneak out of Eli’s arms and run back towards the door, but only after leaving a sizable cut on the blonde’s arm. Erena cocked an eyebrow, “What were you saying about it being amiable?”

“I said amiable, not necessarily non-threatening,” Eli said, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw she wasn’t bleeding (much), “If it’s alright with you two, I wanted to get things prepared as soon as possible. The girls still need to be told what will happen so I trust you three can get things ready?”

Tsubasa hummed in thought and grabbed Eli’s arm wrapping a handkerchief around the cut, “While it’s true we have all our supplies, we need to make as many precautions as we can in case something goes wrong. It would be great if we could use this ballroom since it’s about as spacious as we need. You should know better than anyone else how taxing this can be - and how it may go wrong.”

Eli nodded, “Use what you need. When will you be ready?”

“One day,” Tsubasa grinned, “We’ll be prepared by tomorrow morning. Because you gave us a bit more time to prepare our supplies, we can perform the ritual on two girls at once. Though it will take about a few days between each session in order for us to restore our energies.”

“I understand,” Eli said, “I’ll talk to the girls about it right away. Thank you again, Tsubasa. Erena. If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to tell me.”

“Oh? Perhaps I should seriously consider that offer,” Tsubasa said. Eli blushed softly when she noticed Tsubasa was staring at her lips. She nervously excused herself, heading off to find the girls. Anju was in the hallway trying to figure out how to hold Frost’s goopy lower body in her arms. Eli smiled at the silly sight and found Nico furiously cooking up a feast in the kitchen.

“N-Nico? Are you alright? This is a little more food than usual isn’t it?” Eli asked, narrowly dodging Nico rushing past her with a pan full of freshly baked bread rolls.

“Of course! I’m only giving A-RISE the best while they’re here,” Nico said, matter-of-factly, “What are you here for? I’m really busy y’know?”

“Well I was going to call everyone together and explain what was going to happen. Can you go into the living-”

“No chance,” Nico cut off Eli without hesitation, “Bring them here.”

-:-

“And that’s it. Any questions?”

Eli looked out across the dining room table at the girls she now thought of as family. No matter what happened from here on out, she would be standing by their sides. 

“So you’re saying that we aren’t really doing an exorcism?” Honoka tilted her head to the side. 

“Yes,” Eli said, “What A-RISE is here to do is to take you inside your mind. There, you can talk to the demon possessing you and find out on what conditions they will leave your body. This minimizes the stress your body will be under when the demon leaves your body because they will be doing it, hopefully, voluntarily.”

“What if your demon doesn’t want to leave?” Maki twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, “Then there won’t be any choice besides forcing the demon out of the body, right?”

“We’re hoping that won’t happen,” Eli said, “If it does we will deal with it then. But what I’ve learned all this time is that demons may not feel as much as us, but they are individuals with desires nonetheless. And like with any creature, it is difficult not to give into desire.”

Eli put a hand over her heart, tracing a cross over the fabric before looking at the others with a fiery determination in her eyes, “I swear on the Ayase family’s name and, more importantly, as your friend Eli Ayase, to help you be rid of these demons once and for all.” 

Honoka started clapping, which resulted in everyone clapping and Eli sinking into her seat with a sheepish blush. Even Nozomi was shooting her a mischievous grin, no doubt enjoying how red faced Eli must have looked. Perhaps she should have kept the whole chivalrous declaration between just her and the first volunteers. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Eli could see Rin and Hanayo with their palms pressed tightly together. It was already decided that they would be the first ones to go. They had, of course, been given the opportunity to refuse. But both of them showed some uncharacteristic determination, insisting that they could take on the challenge. Now, faced with the reality of the situation, they were practically shaking in their boots. And honestly, how could Eli blame them?

She went around the table, silently putting a hand on each of their shoulders, a (hopefully) discreet gesture of reassurance. Rin took a deep breath before throwing a big grin back at Eli. Hanayo gave a small smile as well, mouthing a little “thank you” before turning her attention back to the half-finished lunch on the table. Eli ruffled both their hair and went back around to her empty seat. Nozomi held onto her arm as soon as she sat down, shifting her eyes from the table up to the blonde. 

“Is something wrong, my love?”

“Nothing,” Nozomi said, still not looking her girlfriend in the eye. Eli smiled, giving Nozomi a quick kiss on the top of her head, much to the confusion of the latter.

With a huff, Nozomi leaned on Eli’s shoulder pouting. Nico rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut about the couple’s obvious flirting. Things were finally coming to an end. The last trial of Eli’s journey was just looming over the horizon. This should have been the most stressful twenty-four hours of Eli’s life. But, with all of them together like this, Eli felt strangely at peace. It may get even harder from now on; who knew what the demons would do once released into the world. Despite that, despite everything that had happened until then, Eli couldn’t help but smile at the people who she considered family. 

Even if the gates of Hell were to open at that moment, Eli felt as if she could take them on. As long as the others were at her side, she could do anything - spiritual powers or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cant believe ive abandoned this fic for 5 moths ;;;;-;;; there goes my plan to have it finished in 2016.......... rip..........  
> thank you for everyone who waited for this fic ;;; i know the wait must have seemed like forever but i hope the double update will make it just a little more bearable (just a little) ;;;;-;;;;
> 
> next is the demon exorcisms! writing isnt the absolute best medium to convey action but i'll try my best lmao..... thank you again for reading and sticking with me and check me out on tumblr @ hb48.tumblr.com or on twitter @HB0048
> 
> make sure to check out my sister too!! she's responsible for bringing you guys these super cool demons after all :P check her out at godbear999.tumblr.com


	23. Guts and Tails

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: blood, mild body horror

Eli double checked all the preparations in the ballroom. The curtains were drawn and the  
appropriate runes had been written on the stage and on the floor. Candles lined the edge of the stage, illuminating the room in an ethereal yet ominous glow. It wasn’t exactly a lie to say that a dark ritual was about to be performed but Eli wanted to keep a slightly more positive attitude. That sentiment had resulted in a poorly painted “You can do it!” sign hung on wall where the girls could clearly see it. She had begged the others not to put it up - artistry was never her strong suit - but Honoka had insisted on it. With a sigh, Eli said a final prayer, sprinkling drops of holy water around the spots where Rin and Hanayo would sit. 

A-RISE went in when Eli left, Tsubasa giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Eli straightened her clothes one more time in the mirror, then walked to the foyer where everyone was waiting. Rin and Hanayo were both in loose fitting clothes. They didn’t know how the demons would exit their bodies and it was better to be prepared for the worst. The two stood up before Eli could even say a word, a silent understanding that the time had come. 

It was hard to ignore the others as they tried to sneak a look inside the ballroom before Eli closed the doors. She walked Rin and Hanayo over. The two reluctantly separated their hands and Eli felt like calling the whole thing off, to cancel the ritual and face the consequences herself. But Rin was already walking onto the stage and Hanayo sat watching. Eli tried to smile, only managing a small one as the two of them were prepared. Rin grinned through her nervousness and Hanayo nodded.

“Are you two ready?” Tsubasa’s voice broke the silence, “Erena is going to be with Rin and Anju with Hanayo. I’ll be standing between them and lend them both my power. If anything happens at all, we’ll try to null the ritual as fast as we can without harming both of you. Because we’re doing it simultaneously, if one leaves the trance the other has to as well. Do you understand?”

Both of them nodded. 

“When you see your demon, try to communicate with them,” Eli said, “Remember that Furball can’t talk, but try your best anyway. Neither demons should be particularly violent, but it’s always best to be on guard. I’ll be monitoring your bodies so please trust me and A-RISE.” 

Hanayo gave Rin another glance and the latter looked back. The two of them seemed to speak without words and again, nodded at the same time. Eli smiled softly, taking a step back and watching as Erena and Anju drew strange markings on the girls’ foreheads in a bright dye. The marks, interestingly enough, were different from each other and the one Eli had found on her own forehead. She heard Rin and Hanayo breath in and out, until suddenly, as if hit by an unseen force, both their bodies lurched forward and the runes began to glow.

-:-

“Huh? Where am I?”

Rin jumped up onto her feet. Where the ballroom had been just moments before was a pale yellow room. There didn’t seem to be any walls, floor, or ceiling - just cubes floating around. These would occasionally bounce off of something and head into a different direction. Next to her was a throne with a hazy looking figure slumped over. Rin really wanted to try touching it, but figured it was better not to go around disturbing a place like this, wherever it was. 

“I-Is this what the inside of someone’s brain looks like?” Rin asked, looking around frantically, “Where is Furball… E-Eli-san… Maki-chan… Kayochin…” 

Suddenly, there was the sound of claws being dragged along the floor. Crawling across from Rin was the largest cat she had ever seen in her life. It was much smaller than the tigers she remembered seeing years ago in her mother’s arms, but it was too big to be a normal house cat. Maybe the size of a dog? But more off-putting than its size was the large scythe at the end of its bare tail. It blinked a few times, cocking its head to the side. Rin mirrored it without thinking and that seemed to get its attention a bit more.

The cat (?), who Rin guessed was Furball, began to walk over to where she was standing. It was only when it walked that Rin noticed that its left foot was gone, blackened skin left at its ankle. She didn’t know what to do. If Eli was right, Furball never talked so how was she supposed to ask it what it wanted? Maybe she should have brought tuna. Was that possible? Maybe if she just thought of tuna, it would show up - this was her mind after all. 

While Rin tried to think of what a tuna looked like, Furball had begun sniffing her foot, as if it had forgotten what a left foot looked like. It circled around her, tail swishing dangerously from side to side. Rin wondered if that tail could cut her open like a can of tuna and immediately tried to shove that thought away. Just in case her what-you-think-about-appears theory was right.

“Mrrow?” Furball said. It didn’t sound like a meow - more like a mish-mash of growls with a little bit of a roar thrown in. But instinct kicked in and Rin couldn’t stop herself from responding.

“Nya?”

Furball excitedly let out another horrible growl-roar-meow and began rubbing its head on Rin’s leg. Its body began to vibrate which Rin assumed was its way of purring. She smiled, reaching out a hand to pat its head. Soon, the two of them were sitting together as Rin scratched Furball’s body and it writhed around happily. She had to move around a lot too in order to avoid the scythe-tail so she was relieved when it finally seemed to settle down with its head in her lap.

“Furball, do you want to leave my body?” Rin asked. Furball looked up at her, as if it understood what she was saying. But then it began idly licking its paw instead. She sighed, resting her head in her hands, “I wonder if Kayochin is doing any better…”

At the mention of Hanayo’s nickname, Furball’s ears perked up. It made another growling sound, but it seemed almost purposeful. Furball kept repeating that same noise so it obviously meant something. But what could it be? 

“Kayochin?” Growl.

“Best friend?” Nothing.

“G-Glutter?” 

Furball erupted into growls, bouncing out of Rin’s lap and running circles around her. It was so excited from just hearing Glutter’s name. If she remembered, everyone told her and Hanayo that Glutter and Furball were just as close as they were. So maybe, the thing Furball wanted most wasn’t tuna or just shredding things in the house. Maybe, it just wanted to see its best friend.

“Do you want to be with Glutter?” Rin asked. Furball made what sounded like an agreeing noise. She smiled, petting behind its ears and giving a few meows in return, “Okay, if you leave my body, you can be with Glutter all the time! How does that sound?” 

Instead of a response, Furball bumped its forehead together with Rin’s. It was just a little gesture of intimacy but Rin decided that meant “yes.” She smiled - the thing she had been so afraid of all these years was just a big kitten. It had just wanted to be with its friend. If she and Hanayo had been in their shoes, Rin knew she would follow Hanayo to the ends of the world before losing her. Surely it was the same for Furball and Glutter. 

Rin gave Furball another pat on the head before suddenly, the room around her disappeared and a bright light blinded her eyes until…

-:-

“Rin-chan?” 

Hanayo looked around frantically. She was in a mysterious green room with boxes floating everywhere and oh my lord was that a ghost sitting in a throne? In her mental ranking of the scariest things that have ever happened, this was easily in the top five. There wasn’t even any noise. Hanayo was sure if this was her mind, there would be a lot of noise. Maybe the ritual got messed up. Was she trapped here forever in an endless, borderless box room? That just made this in the top three scariest things that have ever happened to her. 

Out of nowhere, there was the most awful squashing sound, as if a giant can of year old solidified paste had been spilled onto the ground. If paste could ever be terrifying this was the instant. Hanayo could barely muster enough courage to turn her head around to the horrifying figure she knew was behind her.

It looked like a slug that had lost any small amount of “cute” in its squishy body and had mutated to be very, very big. Teeth stuck out from its mouth, some dulled down and square while others still had a hauntingly pointed edge. Half of its right arm was missing - cut clean through as if it had never been there in the first place and charred black at the nub. It had a tail at the end of its body and reminded Hanayo of what she thought whales looked like as a child. `And in that moment she turned to look at this monster, it locked eyes with her and just stared.

This was officially the scariest thing that had ever happened in her life.

The thing, whatever it was, stared at her for a while longer. It felt like hours - maybe days? Hanayo could feel the sweat beading on her forehead and her knees shaking like leaves. The lines surrounding its pupils made it look like those hypnotism toys they sold at the market. Maybe it would be nice and not kill her immediately. Maybe.

“Hey, you,” it spoke up, voice deep and rumbling. If voices could have textures, this one sounded like hands rolling over sand filled with gravel and sharp shells, “You the human?”

Hanayo’s voice failed her and all she could manage was a feeble squeak. She added a nod in case her answer was insufficient. The thing grunted but didn’t move. It looked at the chair, thinking for a moment before seeming to decide against its idea. “What do ya want? Ya got somethin’ to eat?” 

“N-No!” Hanayo managed to answer, forcing everything out of her mouth so she only needed to speak to this monster once, “I actually need you to leave my body, pretty please, and I’ll do whatever you want if you can please just leave me alone even though I know my body is like your home, it wasn’t very nice of you to take it from me in the first place and-”

“Furball. And food. ‘S all I need,” it said. Hanayo blinked. It stared back in silence, “What?”

“I-I,” Hanayo said, “I thought you would want something… more? I mean, you’re a demon so isn’t it normal to ask for my soul or never give me back my body ever?” 

“Nah,” it said, “Just make sure me and Furball won’t be attacked again. And that I have food and they have room to run around in.” 

“Well, th-thank you, uh…” Hanayo began, trying to recall the slug-thing’s name.

“Glutter.” 

And suddenly, the room around Hanayo flashed white. Glutter’s figure was engulfed in it and soon, she couldn’t see anything at all. A roar began to ring in her ears, like wind was moving all around her but she couldn’t feel it. And then…

-:-

Eli watched as the runes began to fade away and both the girls bodies relaxed. Thankfully, neither seemed to be hurt, just a little winded as Erena and Anju stepped back. Tsubasa got up last, a thin bead of sweat on her forehead and a triumphant smile on her face. She grinned back at Eli as the other two helped the girls up. “Perhaps we should use this method more often. If only we had enough supplies to use this for everything!” 

“I would be wary of using this as a cure-all,” Eli said, “But it seems to be working effectively. Thank you, again. Go ahead and rest. I’ll alert you if anything happens that requires your assistance.” 

Tsubasa nodded, congratulating Erena and Anju on their way out of the ballroom. Hanayo was a bit shaky on her feet but seemed to be steadying herself. Rin was talking a mile a minute from up on the stage and Hanayo nodded back. By the time Eli had approached them, they looked like they had come to a conclusion. “Hello you two, how was it?” 

“I’m tired!” Rin said, “But that’s not the important thing! Furball told me all it wanted was to be with Glutter - well, they didn’t tell me since they can’t talk, but they seemed really happy when I mentioned Glutter.”

“And when I talked to them, Glutter said all they wanted was to be with Furball and have food,” Hanayo continued.

“Well, we should tell the others then. It is best to make sure everyone knows what is going on and plan everything together,” Eli said, but quickly furrowed her brows, “Is something wrong, girls?”

“I think my foot is asleep, nya,” Rin said, a puzzled look on her face as she tried to nudge her left foot forward. She managed to limp to the edge of the stage, her foot dragging uselessly behind her. Eli felt her gut drop, shifting her attention to Hanayo, who was clutching at her arm.

“I-I can’t feel my arm…” Hanayo said, barely above a shocked whisper. She was holding onto her right arm, holding it up only for it to limply drop to her side once she let go of it. Rin managed to hoist herself off the stage with Eli’s help, limping to Hanayo’s side immediately. It was probably just a side-effect of the exorcism, Eli rationed, the symptoms were just manifesting quickly. Frost had told her before the demon is the one that wills it… Furball and Glutter really never did give her a break.

“For now, let’s get you two somewhere more comfortable. We don’t know how long this will take,” Eli said. She slung Rin’s arm around her shoulders, helping Rin limp along while Hanayo followed behind them. Both of them seemed more than a little shaken and Eli gave them a look she hoped was reassuring. But by the time they reached the piano room, she could tell they were getting worse.

Rin had begun meowing, more so than usual, and a small patch of fur had begun growing on her arms. Meanwhile, Hanayo could barely walk and kept repeating that her stomach hurt. No matter what they tried to do, nothing seemed to relieve the discomfort that she felt. Maki had tried to give Hanayo some tea, but Rin had hissed at her and nearly swatted the cup away only to look shocked at her own actions a second later. The fur had spread from her arms down to her hands and parts of her legs by now. Whenever she moved, it would shed and stick to the carpet and furniture. Hanayo eventually complained about a strange sensation on her stomach and when Eli, who seemed to be the only person Rin let get close to Hanayo, went to go look she found that the former’s stomach had what looked almost like stretch marks. Except instead of forming randomly, they went down in regular vertical lines that framed a strangely stretched area of skin in the middle of her abdomen. 

This went on for hours. ARISE was called but they too were swatted away by Rin and could only advise that they wait until the demons left. Eli and the others watched, anxious about what would happen. Hanayo had to lie down on a couch because her legs had become so unstable. Rin either circled around the couch or crouched in front of it, shedding off fur and dragging her leg behind her. Each passing minute felt like it could be the moment where things would start changing. Eli thought she was ready for anything to happen - that after her own exorcism she understood what these things were like. That’s why she was so surprised when, nearly three hours after the exorcism, Rin began to painfully hunch forward.

It happened so quickly, there was barely a chance for Eli to register if Rin was in any pain. Suddenly, after Rin had curled up in pain, her back violently bent forward and her shirt was torn in half. A bright red slash appeared on Rin’s bare back, splitting open as something burst from it, pulling at ligaments and muscle until it finally tumbled out. Rin fell forwards as blood rushed from the wound for a split second, before it resealed itself and she seemed the same as before.

Just as that happened, Hanayo arched her back backwards as the stretched part of her skin began to tear away before ripping open like paper. An enormous arm came out of the wound, followed by a mammoth body that seemed to pour out of Hanayo until it finally landed onto the ground. Blood trickled onto the floor for just a moment before everything stilled and the seemingly massive and fatal wound had healed itself. 

The others rushed to Hanayo and Rin, while Eli turned to see a massive demon that resembled a slug and one like a cat with a scythe for a tail. The cat, who she assumed was Furball when the initial shock had worn off, stood in front of the slug-ish one protectively. In the chaos behind her, Eli heard Maki and Nico both confirm that the other two were fine - exhausted, but not unconscious. Torn between going to check on her friends and protecting them from whatever these demons might do, Eli stood in place with her eyes locked on who she assumed was Glutter.

In possibly the deepest, roughest voice Eli had ever heard, it mumbled, “Where’s the girl, Spirit Woman? We had a deal.” 

“Will you or your friend try to hurt us if I turn away?” Eli kept her hand close to her side, hovering close to the vials of holy water in her belt pouch. Glutter grunted, throwing a look down at Furball that immediately made the latter relax and begin exploring the room more curiously. A little relieved, Eli kept her guard up as she turned towards the others looking after Hanayo and Rin. 

The back of Rin’s shirt had been ripped open and a thin, scar-like line ran down her back where Furball had ripped out of. Umi ran into the room with two blankets, giving one to Rin and the other to Hanayo, who had a similar looking scar going down the center of her abdomen. Hanayo also had her clothes torn open and looked grateful for the covering. Both of them looked exhausted, fatigue visible in their faces but Rin grinned at Eli when their eyes had met. 

It had been a success. 

-:-

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Elicchi?”

Nozomi gave an uncertain look towards Eli, hands crossed across her chest. In front of them, in the backyard, was Furball chasing Rin around. Its tail was wrapped in as many old rags as they could find, making a game of tag substantially less dangerous than it had been earlier. Glutter stood underneath a tree, shaking it occasionally until a few sticks and leaves fell down that it could eat. It was better that Glutter strip a tree bare and not their kitchen. After the exorcism, the question had been what to do with the demons. Glutter and Furball’s request had been simple but the logistics of their new peaceful life were far from sorted out. So this was Eli’s temporary solution - let them wander the huge property of the mansion as they pleased. 

After setting strict rules with Glutter that it was to only eat certain things, rules which it may or may not have ignored, Eli had spent the day carefully observing the duo. It was dark now and there had been little problems with the arrangement. Glutter was like a giant disposal machine, eating trash and old furniture Eli had found. Furball was more or less like a giant cat once they had fixed the issue with its scythe-tail. Just like when they were possessing Rin and Hanayo, these two weren’t extremely hard to deal with. 

“It is only a short-term plan,” Eli said, “I will think of a more permanent solution, but for now, this will have to do. Now, I need to go do some research… I’ll eat dinner a little later-”

Before Eli could finish her sentence, Nozomi linked their arms, a sly smile on her lips. “Nu-uh, missy. You’ve done enough work - at least have dinner with us and relax a bit, okay?”

Nozomi cupped Eli’s cheek with her hand, smiling when Eli turned to kiss her palm. “That sounds lovely.”

The warmth of Nozomi’s hand on her cheek forced a smile onto Eli’s lips as she took the other girl’s hand. They walked inside, where the others were already waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello readers!!! the time has finally come to the exorcism chs that i have been kind of dreaded writing lol... i dont have much experience writing gore and stuff so im going to try my best to get godbear's ideas across to you without it sounding too awful u-u
> 
> IN OTHER NEWS: ive opened up a ko-fi account! if you like TDM and want to show your support or want to encourage me to write more, you can leave a little tip on my page :) >> http://ko-fi.com/hbwrites <<  
> also, since summer's on the way i'll be out of my job (i work at a hs) so in order to make some money ive been considering summer writing commissions??? if anybody's interested please let me know!!!
> 
> thank you guys for reading and being so patient with me! we're coming to the end i promise!!!  
> >>https://twitter.com/HB0048/status/863946635763527684


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